


Kingdom Hearts: Keys to the Kingdom III

by thepenishellamightier



Series: Keys to the Kingdom [6]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azlyn And Telary Being Themselves, Badass Kairi, F/M, Gen, Lots of Disney, Lots of Final Fantasy, No BBS, No DDD, No chi/X/backcover, Reasonably Intelligent Sora, Snarky But Socially Awkward Riku, Some Of It Very Important To The Overall Story, very alternate, what a concept
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2019-11-06 09:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 119,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17937572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepenishellamightier/pseuds/thepenishellamightier
Summary: Darkness marches across the universe once more, and the Keybearer must stop its advance.But what are Maleficent's vile plans? How did she acquire so much new power? Where does Bright Oasis's enigmatic chancellor fit into all of this? And why do two Keyblade-wielding warriors seek to kill Sora? The answers to these questions and more lie in both the ancient Keyblade War, and the life of one man: Xehanort.





	1. Gathering

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the final chapter of the Keys to the Kingdom Saga. Hope you're ready, because I sure am!

_"The Keyblade. Truly a marvelous weapon. Now if only it were in more capable hands, hm?"_

_A young man walks along a dusty road, wind whipping harshly at his dark clothes. All around him is nothing but dust, a blinding storm he walks through the nexus of without hurry or concern. Is this man the storm's cause, or merely a traveler who found the best way through? It is impossible to say. He simply walks on._

_The haze begins to fade, the impenetrable wall of bright yellow dust parting to reveal dozens of small rifts. Light shines even brighter through these holes, glimpses of a sky tinted yellow by dirt and sand and the blazing sun._

_Eventually, the young man stops. He stands still as a statue, only glancing once over his shoulder before he fixates on what's ahead. He regards the haze with his same impassiveness, only slightly betrayed by the quick movements of his eyes. The dust is settling faster now, glimpses of tall canyons, buttes, and plateaus in the distance. Only the immediate ground remains obscured, as if the particulates have all decided to stop at exactly the wanderer's height._

_Then, with one final, massive gust, all the dust is blown away to reveal what is beyond. The young man stands at a crossroads, four paths all leading up to the spot where he stands. All around him is some sort of strange vegetation, or perhaps just unique looking rocks. Or, perhaps they are something else._

_The last dust finally settles, revealing the young man's surroundings in fuller detail. It is not strange rocks or desert blooms that surround him. Instead, he stands in the midst of a field of metal._

_Keyblades. Hundreds of them. They jut out of the ground, some straight and others tilted at angles, sunlight glinting off them, somehow luminous even through layers of rust._

_The traveler pays no attention, except for a single glance to make sure no hostiles hide amongst the blades. Once he's sure, he returns his attention ahead. Squinting, he can just barely make out three figures in the distance, walking slowly towards him._

_He takes a deep breath, opening and closing his palm. The motion is slow and steady, rhythmic and familiar. Some kind of nervous tick, perhaps?_

_"Legends tell of the Keyblade and its wielder, young man. How the Keyblade shatters peace and brings ruin. It is nothing but a curse!" _

_Despite their sedate pace, the figures ahead are getting closer remarkably quickly. They're still too far away to make out perfectly, but the sunlight shines off them the same as all those blades. In fact, the gleam is brighter on these figures. Whatever sort of metallic clothing they wear, it's clearly fresher, or simply better maintained, than the forgotten blades._

_What's more, the armor covers their entire bodies. Long capes of tattered cloth splay out behind them, shifting with the swirling wind. Even moving methodically as they are, still the capes billow. Perhaps the universe simply enjoys dramatic imagery._

_Finally, they reach an apparently acceptable distance. From here, the traveler can make out the differences between all three strangers. One is tall, burly and masculine. The second is shorter by only inches, and the curves of their body are unmistakably feminine. Finally, the third figure stands at a height with the woman's shoulder, his lithe musculature less obvious than the other man's._

_The traveler walks forward just a few feet, still maintaining at least ten yards from his visitors. He opens his mouth to speak, though no words can be heard. Though even from simple observation, a brewing conflict is clear. Stances shift, muscles clench. Open hands becomes fists. The air begins to swirl up a cloud of dirt once again._

_Then suddenly, it appears the time for talking is over. The tallest armored figure steps forward, a column of light flashing in his hands. When it fades, he holds a blade. It's strange, designed to look like some enormous piston. It is also enormous, half the height of the tall knight. The others quickly follow suit. The smallest figure's blade resembles a metal axe, three spokes forming its head. The female's is sleek and to the point. Quite literally. The spike at its tip looks as if it could puncture a boulder straight through._

_All three raise their weapons, ready for a fight._

_The traveler simply looks at them for a moment, just the barest hint of a smile on his face. He raises his arm perpendicular to the ground, the smile growing. Light flashes in his open hand, brighter than his opponent's magic. It fades to reveal a blade of the traveler's own. It doesn't look like much, a simple silver shaft leading down to a square, golden handguard. Unlike the others', three metal links off the hilt lead to a silver pendant. A keychain._

_The traveler lowers his blade, both hands holding it parallel to his body. The look on his face seems to scream for the armored figures to bring all they have to bear. He is ready for them._

_"The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes." _

_**The Door must not be opened!** _

Sora awakens with a start, sitting up so quickly he almost dives right out of his chair. His breathing is frantic for a moment, eyes darting over his surroundings but seeming to see nothing. It takes him a few seconds, but eventually the Keybearer manages to settle. He consciously moves through a slow cycle of deep breaths. In, and out. In, and out. A sense of calm slowly replaces his earlier, inexplicable panic.

"You okay back there?" a feminine voice asks, simultaneously managing both concern and teasing. "Bad dream?"

Sora looks ahead, where Kairi is looking at him over her shoulder. The red-haired Princess of Heart sits at the Gummi ship's piloting chair, control rods firmly gripped in her hands. She's frowning, one eyebrow raised quizzically.

"Yeah, yeah," Sora replies, forcing himself to shrug. A quick flash in her eyes tells the boy that Kairi took note of its unnatural sharpness. "I just, y'know, had a dream. Weird dream. Someone was screaming at me, and I can still hear the voice echoing in my head…"

"I'd offer you an arm around the shoulder or something," Kairi says, pursing her lips. "But I'm kinda in the middle of something here." She briefly glances to the cockpit's other chair. "Riku, give Sora something affectionate for me, huh?"

Sora moves his gaze as well, just in time to notice the exaggerated grimace on the older man's face. "Yeah, I'm gonna pass on that. Sorry Sora."

The boy shrugs, looking away forlornly. "Oh no, how will I go on?" He shakes his head, unable to keep a playful smile from crossing his face. "If only I were Yuffie, then maybe…"

"Knock it off!" Riku practically whines, the shout barely heard over Kairi's raucous laughter up front. "And _you,_ missy, just keep your eyes on the road!"

"Yeah, yeah," she replies flippantly, even as she honors his request. "Sorry if that came off as, I dunno, insensitive or whatever. You know we're totally behind you if that's what you wanna do, right? Or if you don't."

"But he _does_!" Sora assures his girlfriend, wagging a finger at the silver-haired young man. "C'mon Riku, take a chance. You know for a fact she's into you. And she hasn't even _seen_ the abs!"

"They do complete the package," Kairi agrees just loud enough to hear. Hearing Riku's wordless grumbling, she switches tactics. "Riku, this is the perfect opportunity. We're going to a ball for goodness sake! I saw you two dancing at the wedding, and I have to say…"

"That's something else!" her boyfriend interrupts, snapping his fingers to accentuate the exclamation. "Azlyn and Telary are still on their honeymoon, which means she won't be there to make fun of you."

The excitement fades a bit at the reminder that Sora's other two best friends aren't going to be there to enjoy the party with. He's sure the newlyweds are having a lovely (and knowing them, _incredibly_ steamy) time on their trip, but it would be nice for the pair to be at the ball. Especially considering they first got together at the last year's event, and that it's celebrating the restoration of their long-suffering homeworld.

Plus, even after just two weeks, he sincerely _misses_ them.

Riku, meanwhile, only looks slightly encouraged by his friends' input. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But, uh, not to change the subject abruptly or anything, but when are Azlyn and Tel supposed to get back to the castle?"

"Smooth," Kairi says with a little giggle. "I think two weeks was what they had planned on, right?"

"You mean the great wedding planner didn't craft an exacting, minute-to-minute schedule?" Riku teases.

"I planned the _wedding_ ," Kairi shoots back, rolling her eyes even though he can't see. "What happens _after_ isn't my department. Sora, do you know?" No response comes for several seconds. "Sora, hello?"

The boy in question still doesn't reply, simply staring out at a swirling nebula of blue and green. The space between worlds is so peaceful, relaxing in a way that can be rivaled only by the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. No matter how many times Sora stares into it, it never seems to lose its mystery and wonder. The colors, the calming mild undulation, the many stars…

Sora starts, sitting up a little straighter and intensifying his gaze. Maybe he's crazy, or still groggy from his nap, but he swears he sees a cluster of stars disappear from existence. Perhaps a dozen or so close points of lights become blank space. He opens his mouth, ready to shout a warning to his friends, mentally flashing back to the terrible storm that had ravaged his home.

But then, quickly as they vanished, the stars return. Gummi space remains the tranquil place it always is. Sora blinks, shaking his head just slightly in hopes of regaining some bearings. Had that really just happened?'

"Like is any of this for real," he mutters under his breath, for some reason recalling that he'd said these words before, "or not?"

His chair begins to shake, violently. With only the slightest gasp, Sora leaps from the seat. A shaft of light in his hand becomes the Kingdom Key in an instant, ready for danger. But when he finishes pivoting on his heel, the spiky-haired young man only sees Riku.

The other Keyblade wielder stares at him in bewilderment, both hands gripping the chair's back. The shaking's source, no doubt. "Man, you really _are_ out of it. Seriously Sora, is everything okay?"

Sora dismisses his blade in another burst of light. With his hand free, he moves it to rub at the back of his neck. "Um, sure? I mean, yeah. Yes. Totally." He sighs, lowering the hand and looking down at the floor. "Weird dream. Lots of Keyblades, and some guy with _my_ key, and the _stars…_ "

"I can have us turned around in a second, Sora," Kairi says, looking at him with soft kindness and concern. "Or if you think that…"

"No, no!" Sora interrupts, holding up a hand to the redhead. "Sorry, no, I'm fine! Just the weird dream messed me up, and you know I feel awkward going to other worlds without Azlyn and Telary." He crosses to his chair, waving Riku away so he can take a seat and swivel to face Kairi. "We should be there for the Restoration Ball. The president of Bright Oasis is coming for his first diplomatic visit or whatever." The boy straightens up, preening exaggeratedly. "According to Leon, I'm important politically."

"There's something I never thought I'd hear," Riku declares, though it sounds slightly forced. Like something he merely felt he had to say. He's still looking at Sora warily, a slight frown turning down the corners of his lips.

Kairi is even worse, her brow fully furrowed. Sora just wants it that to stop, so he says, "Plus, you really were looking forward to this. And I am too. I've never let Nobodies and Heartless stop me, what's the big deal about one dream?"

His girlfriend doesn't say anything for a long moment, staring the Keybearer down like she can see right through to his heart. Then she sighs, turning back around as her face relaxes. But Sora can still see her looking at his reflection in the Gummiglass. Riku doesn't even do him the courtesy of pretending not to stare.

Sora ignores both of them, returning his gaze to where it had idled before. But this time, he can't seem to allow himself to relax.

 **Kingdom Hearts**  
Keys to the Kingdom  
**III**

Within the darkest room of an otherwise blindingly white castle, a jade-skinned woman silently contemplates destiny. What exactly is it, she wonders, that determines someone's fate. Tides? The stars? Circumstances? Or perhaps it is simply whatever lies in a man or woman's heart, and the path one forges by using it as a guide.

But what if a one's fate is not their own? What if all sentient beings are nothing but puppets dancing to invisible strings? Can anything ever truly be determined by sheer force of stubborn mortal will?

Speaking of puppets, she can see her pair of them from the corner of her eye. Both men are tall and large, one's girth carved from firm muscle and the other's… not quite so much. One wears red, the other blue. Either one would willingly follow any command their mistress could see fit to give.

Would that it were only so simple to command the rest of the universe. Of course, she's been working on that. And while there is more work ahead, Maleficent welcomes it. The ultimate goal is within grasp, her fist merely waiting to be closed. And the time has finally come to show the power behind it.

"You are aware how important this task is, are you not?" the woman asks her servants in severe tones. Even without looking, she knows they've both leaped to attention at the sound of her voice. "Failure will not be tolerated, not even a partial one. You have all the tools necessary. All I require of you is the will."

"You got it, Maleficent!" the heavier minion declares, snapping off a crisp salute learned from younger days as a boatman's apprentice. "There ain't no way I'd let ya down this time. Or, uh, any other time ya ask me to do something. You say jump…"

"Be quiet," protests the other, sparing his partner a withering gaze. Once the other is sufficiently wilted, he turns back to his mistress. "I would not tolerate a failure any less than you would, my lady. It would impugn the warrior's honor with which I uphold myself." A brief pause, and then, "The, ah, Keybearer will be present, is that correct?"

"By all accounts, he is to be the star attraction at this atrocious gathering of fools," Maleficent replies. "Feel free to engage with him, if that is your desire. Just be sure not to do any permanent damage." Of course, the witch knows even the concept of such a thing is laughable. But, loyalty has to be built on something, does it not?

"I will endeavor to try," Gilgamesh replies. The faint rasp of his hands rubbing together in anticipation drifts through the room.

"Aw, let him be a glory hound," Pete says dismissively. "You can rest assured Maleficent, _I'll_ keep my eye on the prize. It's the least I can do to repay all your generosity and caring." Everyone present simply ignores how paradoxical those words seem applied to the jade-skinned witch.

"See that you do," is all she says in reply, gazing out into nothing while concentrating on everything. "Today begins our long road to the end. To glory, and victory."

Pete and Gilgamesh bow, murmuring pledges of loyalty before they slink backwards out of the room. For a brief moment, bright white light pierces the rooms darkness. Then the door slides closed, and the gloom returns.

And so too does Maleficent return to her earlier contemplations. The final plan is in motion now, her loyal marionettes dancing under her control. That is the definition of power, when all is said and done. If the inhabitants of the worlds are puppets, then the only sensible goal is to gain control of as many strings as one can. And now, with her hands outstretched, Maleficent seeks to do just that.

But if all is puppetry, then what of the witch's own strings? Only she herself knows just how far back they reach, the hands that guide them concealed in shadow. But soon enough, all will know. Soon, _all_ the strings will be theirs' to command.


	2. The 2nd Annual Radiant Garden Restoration Ball

The sun shines brightly from where it peeks over the rim of the mountains that surround Radiant Garden, casting the muted light of dawn down upon the city. All around, people bustle to and fro as they live their lives. It's a far cry from where the city was just a few years ago. Though "restoration" is the key word amongst its officials, the process truly has been more akin to a resurrection. Even the castle, once a dark and twisted reflection of a cruel and barren world, has returned to the vibrant beauty it once enjoyed. The entire town follows suit, well on its way to attaining the perfection attributed by its name.

Today, however, Squall "Leon" Leonhart, head of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee and thus the city's nominal leader, can't help but see the opposite. He's already twice walked the entire town this morning, by himself. Everywhere he'd looked, it had seemed there was something small or large that was out of place, not good enough.

It bothers him even now, standing in the courtyard of the Radiant Garden Defense Force's northern outpost and barracks. While not exactly packed, plenty of people have come out for this small ceremony. Most of the Restoration Committee stand in wait, meaning Yuffie, Cid, Aerith, Merlin, and LeBlanc, as well as Quistis and a few Defense Force members. Plus their offworld guests Sora and Kairi. Outside, plenty of curious civilians have gathered to see the visitors' arrival. Hopefully the large crowd looks welcoming rather than intimidating.

The city's main gate, a wrought iron portcullis made of bronze metal, stands firmly closed. But Leon knows that any minute now it will open, signaling the beginning of his beloved city's next greatest challenge.

He manages to notice Sora as the Keybearer sidles up to him. A good thing too, considering what Leon might do if surprised in his current mental state. "Are you okay, man?"

The Restoration Committee leader frowns. "Of course I am, Sora. It's just that this is a fairly important moment for Radiant Garden. Our first impression here could make or break the relationship we want to build with our sister city."

"I think we made a perfectly great first impression," Sora argues, hands on his hips. "I mean, we kinda toppled a military dictatorship. Trust me Leon, I know how heroics go. That kind of thing at _least_ gives you the benefit of the doubt!"

"And this really is a wonderful city," Kairi chimes in. "From what I can remember, it's every bit as beautiful as it was before the Fall."

"We've all done so much, starting from so little," says Aerith, ever the very picture of tranquility. "And don't judge the city based on architecture alone, Leon. All you need to do is look at the people. They all love Radiant Garden. This President Loire will see that, I promise."

Leon looks at each of the three optimists in turn. He spares a quick glance at Yuffie too, just in case she has anything to add. But the self-proclaimed great ninja doesn't seem to be in much of a peppy mood herself. Her arms are crossed, lips pursed as she sweeps her eyes over the proceedings.

"Thanks for the reassurance," he says, deciding to focus on Sora for now. The Keybearer wears a wide grin, happy to help as usual. "I know all that. I guess I just needed…"

"It ain't this president guy Leon's looking to impress anyway," Cid chimes in with his usual gruffness. LeBlanc stands by his side, knowingly looking on.

Sora gasps, immediately catching on. "Oh that's right! _Rinoa_ must be coming with them!"

"Your girlfriend, right?" Kairi asks, not adding just how odd that seems.

"She used to be," the Keybearer explains quickly. "Then she moved, then the Fall and all that memory stuff, and then she manipulated us into helping overthrow the guy who killed her father. Not a cool move. I'm sure Leon's just trying to…"

"I am only trying," the man in question interrupts, outright scowling, "to make sure this visit signals the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship between Radiant Garden and Bright Oasis. Whatever else is going on, it isn't as important as that."

"But you still have feelings for her!" Sora protests, even though his older friend is still talking. Kairi tries her best to corral the boy, tugging insistently on his arm, but he refuses to back down. "And yeah, what she did was bad and I get that you're upset. I mean, _I'm_ still pretty upset especially since it was because of the Keyblade that she even…"

" _Hey_!"

Quistis's voice cuts through all the noise. All involved in the verbal altercation turn to look at the captain. She doesn't look pleased in the least, and the soldiers surrounding her seem unsure of how to properly react themselves.

"I just got a call from the tower," she announces, pointing to the barrack's upper level. "The envoy has been spotted, so if you want to finish this discussion up, or put a pin in it for later, now would be a great time."

"Not one more word," Leon declares, prodding Sora's chest with his pointer finger. "Okay?"

It takes a moment, but eventually Sora nods. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry about being so pushy."

"And sorry I brought it up in the first place," Cid adds.

"I'm sorry I didn't stop _him_ ," LeBlanc chimes in, fondly bumping her shoulder against the engineer's.

"Ditto for me and Sora," Kairi says. She reaches out and takes the Keybearer's hand, ready to let him know if he's about to go too far.

Any further offers of apology are curtailed by the main gate's sudden movement. Everyone in the courtyard looks on as it rises into its groove, revealing the cliffside road into the city. Several hundred yards away, three vehicles can be seen traversing the roadway. The leading car is massive, all possible vulnerabilities covered in dark blue armor. A more compact, though still armored, white sedan follows behind it, a truck identical to the first bringing up the caravan's rear. Above the three vehicles, a roughly man-sized drone watches over everything from the air.

The Defense Force members, all standing in precise rows near the courtyard's left wall, snap to attention with their hands clasped in front of them. Quistis settles into the head of the line, looking slightly more relaxed while maintaining the same posture.

Yuffie stops looking like she's just recently been pooped on by a bird, a small smile appearing on her face. Aerith smooths out her dress, before folding her hands. Cid doesn't make any concession to propriety at all, even though LeBlanc is non-verbally encouraging him to shape up. Leon somehow manages to conceal the nerves that were all too apparent before. Still, Sora notices something in the set of his older friend's mouth that's just off somehow.

As for the Keybearer himself, he sees no reason to get overly formal. Normally he'd expect Kairi to correct him on this point, but she merely stands by his side with his hand in hers. Glancing over, he takes note of the wide-eyed way she watches the approaching caravan.

Everyone present looks on in still silence as the cars pull through. They park in a semicircle right in the midst of the courtyard, and within a heartbeat the larger vehicles are emptying. Three soldiers quickly slide out of each, a mix of men and women all holding the small rifles Sora recognizes. Each wears a full suit of red and white armor. Another armored man, on the short side but incredibly burly, exits the sedan's front passenger seat.

Whoever he is, the man gives the entire courtyard a thorough once-over, from the Defense Force members to the top of the city's outer wall. It take him nearly half-a-minute, impressing Quistis instantly with his careful attentiveness. Once the man is satisfied, he reaches for the car's back door and pulls it open.

Rinoa is the first to emerge, and Sora can hear the slight change in Leon's breathing, an instant reaction to her presence. She wears an outfit incredibly similar to the one Sora had seen her in when they first met. The only difference is that now the black shirt beneath her long, flowing cardigan has long-sleeves, and she wears a pair of dark pants that show off the shape of her legs to incredible effect. Actually, the musculature of her arms is rather noticeable as well.

She quickly steps aside, one of the female soldiers moving to stand by her. Then a second person emerges from the car. Bright Oasis President Laguna Loire is smiling even as he stands, looking around the courtyard as if he likes what he sees. He's a tall man, dressed in a suit of dark blue armor not unlike what the soldiers wear. His is a bit more streamlined and without a helmet, gold piping featured prominently. After giving a sheepish little wave, he steps forward towards Leon. Three solders follow him doggedly.

"Hello everyone!" Laguna greets all the assembled, nodding at the Defense Force volunteers. Once he reaches Leon, the president thrusts his open hand out for a shake. When Leon complies, Laguna vigorously pumps the offered arm. "And a special hello to you, Mister Leonhart."

"It's wonderful that you could join us, Mr. President," Leon replies, seeming positively dull compared to the president's exuberance. Luckily though, he still doesn't come off as stiff. "I'm glad to have this chance for you to come and see our city."

"We hope you come to love it as much as we have," Aerith chimes in, smiling.

Laguna smiles back at her, his right leg suddenly shaking just a bit. Perhaps he has a cramp. He quickly brings it under control. "Well, that's my hope as well. And the same for you all and Bright Oasis of course."

"If you give it a little color," Sora suggests, swiftly gaining everyone's attention. Beside him, Kairi does her best not to flinch as her hand tightens just a fraction. Leon gives the Keybearer a carefully blank look.

But Laguna, to his credit, simply lets out a full-throated laugh. "I will definitely be looking into that. Sora, was it?"

The spiky-haired young man grins up at him, stepping away from his redheaded minder. "Yes sir!"

In near perfect sync, both men hold out their hands and start shaking enthusiastically. They seem to be a perfectly matched pair. Leon can't help but smile just a bit at that. Then he notices more movement by the sedan.

The last Bright Oasis delegate to step out of the car is dressed rather eclectically for a government official. Over his pinstripe suit he wears a long black coat, which can't be very pleasing in Radiant Garden's warm spring weather. Neither can the scarf, or his wide-brimmed hand from which red tresses with just a hint of violet spill. The remaining two soldiers, one male and one female, position themselves at his side.

"Uh, you know Rinoa, of course," Laguna says to Leon and Sora, breaking the gunblade wielder from his examination of Ardyn.

He turns to see his former lover, an instant sense of sadness and regret filling him. The Restoration Committee leader remains stoic as he can, noting that she does the same. The only acknowledgment the pair have for each other is a brief nod.

"And this crazy guy here is Ardyn," Laguna continues without noting any of the tension. "He's my chancellor, handling citizen affairs and such while I focus on the broader pursuits of our reformed government."

"A quite grand way to describe my duties," Ardyn says, his voice strong and smooth. He removes his hat, bowing his head at the assembly. "It certainly sounds more interesting and important than calling me the complaint department."

Everyone politely laughs at the small joke. Except for Kairi, eyeing the chancellor with a wary expression. She quickly gets it under control, remembering the needs of diplomacy.

"I'm afraid the two of us haven't met before," Leon says, extending his hand. Ardyn shakes it, just a single strong pump before letting go. "But I heard that you were instrumental in the arrest of Vinzer Deiling."

"I opened a door," the chancellor replies with a modest shrug. "Of what consequence is that?"

"It kept two of my good friends safe," Sora says with sincerity. "That's enough for me."

Ardyn quickly assesses the boy. "My pleasure, Sora. Is it true that you possess a Keyblade like your friend Riku?"

"I sure do!" Holding up his hand, Sora summons Kingdom Key in a flash of light. He smiles, proudly displaying the mystic weapon.

"Quite interesting," the chancellor remarks, examining the blade and its wielder. Just when it starts making Sora uncomfortable, Ardyn smiles. "Well, I shall have to hope that you needn't draw that out for anything other than display purposes while we make our visit."

"We all share that hope," Leon comments, though the sideways glance Ardyn gives him makes the gunblade wielder feel as if he just intruded on a private conversation. He clears his throat, moving on. "Well, anyway, I imagine you all would like to see the city now, hm?"

"Yeah, of course!" Laguna chimes in cheerfully, walking over with considerable pep in his step. He leaves behind a thoroughly bemused Aerith, and even Yuffie doesn't look so upset anymore. "I really can't wait, Leon."

The people gathered outside watch carefully as the retinue emerges from the barracks. Leon does his best to non-verbally tell them not to stare, but it doesn't take. Luckily, Laguna doesn't seem to mind them. He waves, smiling brightly. A few wave back, mostly those too young to overthink the gesture. Even if it's all slightly awkward, at least there's civility on display.

But in the back, carefully hidden, a few men and women watch the procession with anger and contempt in their hearts. Once Laguna has passed, they turn away and swiftly exit the crowd.

The president insists on walking the city, refusing Leon's offer of a vehicle out of hand. He wants to really get the _feel_ of Radiant Garden, he says. It's agreed that that sounds like a great idea, though honestly if he had requested a private helicopter Leon would have found a way to make that happen.

Laguna walks in front, Leon staying silent and letting Aerith and Cid handle the bulk of the tourguiding. The others stay back, Rinoa herself remaining by Sora and Kairi's side. The Keybearer quickly introduces them.

"Isn't someone missing?" the older woman asks, briefly examining the group.

"Uh, Riku had something else that came up," Sora explains, trying to keep his voice low.

It doesn't work, if the scoff that Yuffie emits a moment later is any indication. Leon throws a look over his shoulder like the ninja is a student he just caught whispering in class. Luckily, Laguna and Ardyn are too engaged in the tour to have noticed the episode.

"Another friend of ours is coming in to, uh, world for the ball as well," Sora continues to explain, while Kairi excuses herself to talk to Yuffie. "He and Riku are particularly close, so he wanted to be there for him." Making sure his girlfriend is out of earshot, the boy whispers, "And he's feeling kind of shy about seeing certain female ninja people."

Rinoa nods, smiling in spite of herself. "Ah. Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only one with problems."

Sora chuckles halfheartedly in reply, scratching the back of his neck. "Isn't it though?"

**KH-KH-KH**

Riku takes a deep breath, narrowing his focus to just what is in front of him. The task ahead requires all of his attention, focus, and hard-won skill. And it's much better than actually acknowledging where he is and what it means to him.

"Riku?"

The familiar voice of Mickey Mouse, current king of Disney Castle and all-around good friend, startles Riku from his laser-focus. He turns his head, immediately recognizing the soft way his old companion is looking at him.

"Ya seem awfully fixated on that tie there," Mickey says, gesturing to the piece of yellow fabric. "Do ya need some help? I ain't an expert or anything, but…"

Riku shakes his head, lowering his arms. A dull ache sets in immediately, which is odd since he doesn't _think_ he was staring at the tie that long. From there, it's an easy feat to simply let himself fall back on his bed. He stares up at the ceiling, idly tracing the path of a bronze pipe where it runs exposed over the dark grey tile.

The king notices his grimace. "I know being back here like this isn't exactly soothing on your mind, Riku." Despite his small size, he easily leaps up to sit next to Riku. "But all that's in the past, y'know? It's like all of Radiant Garden, really."

It takes a few second of internal debate, but Riku sighs and sits up. Looking directly at his friend, the silver-haired young man admits, "It isn't that. Uh, not entirely that anyway. You see, um…" A laugh bursts from his mouth, unbidden and unwanted. "I'm gonna say it out loud, y'know, and it's gonna sound really stupid but…"

"It's about that girl Yuffie, isn't it?" Mickey replies, to the point without being gruff. "The one you danced with at the wedding."

Riku nods, laughing again. "Yeah, it is. You'd think the reverberating dread of my past actions would be what's really eating me up inside, but _nope_. I'm all nervous and messed up about a girl."

Mickey laughs himself, just a small chuckle as he takes a seat next to his young friend. "That's not exactly strange, Riku. It kinda gets lost in all the high-fantasy drama of our lives, but even us great heroes have to deal with normal stuff eventually."

"I guess it _is_ better than yet another existential crisis," Riku concedes, shaking his head. "That's just my first impression, of course. Odds are I'll be begging for some Darkness-possession drama before it's all over."

"Aw, that isn't the attitude to have, buddy," Mickey disagrees, hopping to his feet and walking to the door. Riku follows, loose tie still in hand as they move out into the corridors. "Believe me, starting out on something like this can be tough. Was for me with Minnie. And I even had the advantage of saving her from a kidnapping attempt."

"Knowing my life," the silver-haired young man interjects, "that could be a possible scenario." As they approach Sora and Kairi's room, he lets out another sigh. "But you're right. Just like Sora told me, I need to stop looking on the dark side of things. This is a good thing for me."

"There's the spirit!" Mickey practically cheers, stopping in front of the door. "Don't think about what could go wrong, focus on what can go right!" Pumped up from all the pep talking, the king completely forgets to knock before throwing Sora and Kairi's door open.

He immediately regrets it, considering they're on the bed making out. Luckily for everyone involved, the pair are still dressed. _Formally_ dressed at that.

"Oops!" Kairi declares, lightly pushing against Sora's chest. The Keybearer rolls off of her, grinning up at their guests without concern. "Hey, uh, hi there. Ever heard of knocking?"

"That, um, that was my bad kids," Mickey replies, still covering his eyes with one white-gloved hand. "I was just caught up in talkin' to Riku, and I didn't think…"

"It's the tux," Sora announces with a laugh, plucking at the lapel of his jacket. Kairi lightly kicks him, flashing a deep frown.

She quickly gets to her feet, smoothing out the skirt of her purple dress and straightening the pale yellow blazer that goes with it. Tilting her head, the redhead focuses in on Riku. "Need some help with that tie?"

He nods, grinning sheepishly as he holds it up. "Uh, yeah. Maybe out in the hall?"

Kairi knows a cry for help when she hears it, ushering Riku out of the room (and earshot) after a quick smile at Sora.

"Yuffie?" Sora asks the king, one eyebrow raised just slightly.

"Yep."

For a moment the Keybearer just chuckles slightly, until a thought occurs to him. He steps closer to Mickey, glancing around as if an eavesdropper lurks just out of sight. Concerned, the king tilts his head up at him.

"I don't want to worry you or anything," Sora begins, knees bent just slightly, "but, uh, on our way here I kind of… saw something."

Mickey gestures for the boy to walk further into the room, frowning. "What exactly is _something_ , Sora?"

"It might be nothing," he replies, arms crossed. "I mean, I'd just woken up so I might have still been kinda out of it but… I think I saw some stars blink out."

Mickey exhales sharply, eyes narrowing as he takes the statement in. "That is concerning. A star going out would mean…"

"Not _a_ star, Your Majesty," Sora corrects, his voice dropping even lower. " _Stars_. A bunch, maybe a dozen or so. And they were all clustered together."

"A dozen at once!" Mickey practically screams, taking a step back from sheer shock. "Sora, this is…"

Sora winces, holding his arms out in from of himself. "Wait a second, wait! They didn't really disappear. Not all the way anyway, I guess. They were there, then gone, and then they came back again. The whole thing took like five seconds. Like I said, I'm still not sure it even really happened."

It takes a moment, but the king manages to calm himself down. For a few long moments the room is silent except for Mickey's hand scratching his chin.

"Well, Sora," he says after exhaling, "I can't say as I've ever heard of stars blinking off and on. Especially not all clustered together like that. But I don't like the sound of it, if I'm being honest. I should talk to Chip and Dale, they set up a system to watch the sky for things like this. If it happens again, we have to know about it."

Sora nods. "Totally agree, Your Majesty." Seconds later, the Keybearer sighs and sinks down to sit on the edge of his bed, head in hands. "And here I thought it was over. That I finally can live my own life, how I want to. But bad things just keep happening, don't they?"

"I wish I could tell you different," Mickey says, shrugging even though the boy can't see him. "But these Keyblades of ours, wielding them to help worlds in need… In all probability that's a full time, lifelong job."

Sighing again, Sora lifts his head up. "Yeah, I know." Then, suddenly, a smile practically bursts onto his face. "But hey, it isn't like we've got, y'know, conclusive proof here or anything. As unlikely as it seems, this could all be basically nothing."

Mickey opens his mouth to speak, but the Keybearer continues before the words can form. He begins to sound more optimistic by the word. "And if it _is_ something, we can handle it. Just think of everybody we've got on our side. Yeah, this is no big deal."

"Funny," Kairi says, stopping just inside the doorway. "That's what I just said to Riku." The silver-haired young man appears behind her, his tie perfectly affixed. "What were you talking about?"

Sora springs to his feet, crossing the room in two strides and grabbing his girlfriend's hand as he moves into the hall. "Oh, just the usual. C'mon, let's party!"

**KH-KH-KH**

Every time he sees the beauty of what was once Hollow Bastion, Sora can't help but be amazed. He probably should be over that by now, considering that he's easily spent more time in the restored castle than he did when it was Maleficent's dark fortress. But there's something to be said for first impressions, he's concluded.

Despite all that, he can appreciate the large ballroom before him. White marble floors, a wall of windows overlooking the city's largest garden. A chandelier hangs from above, dozens of lights making the huge space bright. People mingle about all around, dressed well but not particularly fancy. A small orchestra plays, providing either appropriate ambiance or something to dance to, depending on the person. The dance floor takes up perhaps a third of the room, right next to a sea of white-cloth covered tables. The buffet table rests against the back wall, people all eager to try the dishes that await there.

"This is amazing," Kairi comments, gripping Sora's hand tighter. He looks at her, happy to see the awed grin lighting up her face. "Everything is so beautiful."

"Ya got that right," Mickey concurs as the party begins descending the red-carpeted staircase. It leads down to a small half-circle landing, two more sets of stairs curving down towards the main floor. "Ansem the Wise told me about some of the parties they used to have."

Leon, Aerith, and the Bright Oasis retinue have set themselves up just beyond the grand staircase. It's a good spot, right in a high traffic area without being in anyone's way. Plus if anybody wants to get to the rest of the ball, they have to go through them.

Sora and company approach just as Laguna is finishing up with a perky middle-aged woman dressed in red. The burly guard from before, Sergeant Adelbert Steiner, watches her as if she were a potential security threat.

"I'm sure that the horticulture is fascinating," Bright Oasis's president says, smiling at her as he politely nods. "I didn't manage to get out to the western gardens today, but I assure you that it's one my list."

The woman giggles behind her hand, curtsying clumsily. When she speaks, it's with a slight drawl. "Oh, you won't regret it Mr. President. I trust I'll be seeing you soon then, right?"

"Of course." The woman scampers away, glancing over her shoulder twice before finally rejoining the rest of the party. Laguna, noticing Ardyn giving him a look, turns to the chancellor. "What's with that face?"

"Oh, nothing at all sir," he replies, clearly amused. "I simply find myself amazed at your ability to charm the citizenry. A diplomatic gift if there ever was one."

"It certainly is helping to foster a spirit of cooperation," Aerith notes, smiling herself. "Of course, that's just how Blanche is with most men. But I agree that you should see the western gardens, Mr. President. A new crop of blue roses is just starting to bloom."

"It's not on the schedule," Leon remarks, cool and businesslike as ever. Though once Aerith gives him a pointed look, he sighs. "Maybe we could squeeze it in tomorrow morning."

Sora, practically bouncing with every step, leads his party over to the little diplomatic reception. "Hey guys! Everything looks great!"

"It really does, Leon," Kairi adds, obviously still quite starstruck by the whole affair. She looks to Laguna. "I hope you're as impressed as I am."

"More," the president agrees, grinning. "It's been so long since Bright Oasis did anything like this. Say, Leon, you don't mind if I steal this little idea, do ya?"

The Restoration Committee leader shrugs, grinning just slightly. "Of course not, Mr. President."

Laguna huffs, playfully annoyed. "C'mon, Leon. If I told ya once I said it a hundred times, you don't have to give me that dour 'Mr. President' business. What if I just started not referring to you by your name?"

"Then the two of you would have a lot in common," Riku mutters, thankfully too quiet for the others to pick up.

"It's nice to meet ya, Laguna!" Mickey declares, offering his hand for the significantly taller man to shake. "Name's Mickey, king of Disney Castle."

"I've heard about you, Your Majesty," Laguna replies, vigorously shaking the king's gloved hand. "Another guy running around with one of those Keyblades, eh?"

Mickey shrugs. "Aw, I just kinda fell into the whole thing if I'm being honest. And hey, what's with the 'Your Majesty', business?"

Bright Oasis's president unleashes a boisterous laugh. "Ya got me there. Do as I say, not as I do, then. I really _am_ getting a hang of this politics stuff, aren't I?"

"Only a matter of time before you're kissing babies, sir," Ardyn adds, getting a laugh out of everyone but the ever-vigilant and serious Steiner. And also Leon, who fakes it.

Riku's the first to finish, nearly jumping a foot in the air as he feels a tap against his shoulder. Luckily, he manages to tamp the reaction down to a slight twitch. By the time he's turning around, he knows very well who it is he'll be facing.

"Good evening, Riku," Yuffie says, grinning up at the silver-haired young man. "Nice to finally see you. I figured you'd be at the welcoming this morning, but I guess you had better things to do?"

Amazingly, the ninja manages to neither look nor sound the slightest bit upset. She wears a sleeveless black dress, its hem just below the knee, with white high heels. Her hair is held back by a black headband, affixed with a white iris that contrasts her dark hair.

It takes Riku a moment to figure out what he should say in reply, and in any case he's only worked it out about halfway before he starts talking anyway. "Mickey was coming in at the same time. And I wanted to see him, we're close. Really close, and I really don't, uh, there were going to be so many people at that thing. But nobody for Mickey, and that's… I found that sad."

For a long moment, nobody is quite sure how this is going to play out. Even Laguna and Ardyn, who have no idea what this is really all about, and Leon, who most likely knows exactly but doesn't care regardless, watch the exchange with undeniable interest.

"You really put a lotta work into that one," Yuffie finally says, shaking her head bemusedly. She reaches out, grabbing Riku by the wrist. "Gotta respect that. But only if you'll dance with me, okay?"

The silver-haired young man takes a heartbeat to look at the hand holding his, then looks up at the girl who has a grip on him. In a lot of ways. "That sounds like a fair deal."

They head off to the floor, joining the spinning couples and enthusiastic solo acts in their dance. Sora and Kairi watch carefully for several seconds, grinning at each other when they see Yuffie deliberately pulling Riku closer to her.

"That went off easier than I thought it would," Mickey admits as he joins the pair. Laguna has moved on to the next person who wanted to greet him, so the king is free to do as he pleases. "I could go grab us a table, if you two want to join them on the floor."

Kairi looks at her boyfriend, smiling slyly. "Well, what do you say?"

The Keybearer is about to reply positively when something else catches his eye. Several yards away, right on the border between dance floor and dining area, Rinoa is talking to Quistis. Both women look pleased to be in conversation.

"You go ahead," he says, giving her a polite smile even as he begins moving. "There's something I gotta do first, alright?"

She nods, instantly understanding. With a small wave and wink, she backs up onto the dancefloor as a solo act. It isn't pretty, her limbs flailing without any hint of coordination, but the sight still makes Sora stop for a moment in admiration.

Until someone passing by accidentally bumps into his shoulder, the sudden impact jolting Sora out of his lovestruck reverie. Shaking his head to clear it, the Keybearer turns and makes his way to his target. As he approaches, he can see her eyes briefly flick to him over Quistis's shoulder. Sora pauses, allowing Rinoa a few seconds to disengage from her friend. The blonde captain walks away with a slight nod, watching the Keybearer from the corner of her eye.

"Hello, Sora," Rinoa greets him, smiling stiffly. "It's good to see you again. And of course it was very nice of you to take the time to come talk to me."

"No problem," Sora replies with a limp shrug. "Just doing my part for Radiant Garden-Bright Oasis relations." He raises an eyebrow pointedly, unsubtle as usual. "And any _other_ relations that might be involved in that."

The black-haired woman's smile vanishes, her eyes narrowing. "Are you serious right now, Sora? That's hardly the most pressing issue at stake at the moment."

Sora sighs, happy to no longer have to veil his intentions. "Seems pretty pressing to me. I know intercity cooperation is important and all, but this is, like, _love_. There's not much that's more important than that, if you ask me."

"Well, I'm afraid that nobody did," Rinoa replies, keeping her voice low. "Look, Sora, I appreciate that you care. You're obviously a good friend to Squall, and I'm glad that he has you. But anything that used to be between the two of us is over. I knew that was the risk I was taking when I acted, and I was willing to pay that price for my city."

"And now you don't have to pay anything!" Sora counters, just loud enough to draw some nearby eyes. Noticing, he drops his volume. "Look, mistakes were made. But now you have the perfect opportunity to get past them."

Rinoa can't help but scoff. A bit of Sora's painful earnestness falls away at the sound, and she tries her best not to care. "That's a nice thought, Sora. But it's also extremely naive. I cut Squall too deep. And besides, we aren't even the same people we were, back when we were in love. Maybe this was just inevitable."

"You probably aren't the same people you were," Sora concedes. "But think about this, Rinoa. Is who you are now _better_ , or _worse_?" After giving her one last pointed look, he turns and walks back toward the dance floor.

He finds Kairi quickly, the redhead still embarrassing herself without a care. She's managed to carve out quite a space for herself. Sora supposes people are just too afraid of a close encounter with her flailing arms. Case in point, just as he's approaching her from behind, the Keyblade finds himself whacked in the face.

His girlfriend whirls around, an apology already spilling from her lips. "Sorry, sorry. I just get kind of carried away, I… Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, it's me," Sora replies, exaggeratedly rubbing at the spot where she'd hit him. "Now, if only I could remember who _me_ is."

Kairi rolls her eyes, hands on her hips as she stares the boy down. "Yeah, like my hand could actually do any damage to that thick skull of yours."

Grinning, he holds his hand out. She takes it without another word, the pair stepping as close as propriety will allow. Luckily, whatever spazziness that afflicts Kairi when she dances solo seems to vanish when she has a partner. Well, when she has the _right_ partner at least. When she and Telary had danced at the wedding, the brother-sister team had nearly mowed down half the guests.

But in Sora's arms, she's as graceful as a swan. They dance in perfect step to the orchestra's rhythm, solely focused on each other. At least, until Sora notes some movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, look," he whispers, gesturing with his chin to direct his girlfriend's attention across the floor. Riku and Yuffie move in a straight line, the ninja leading with Riku's wrist firmly in her grip. They don't stop once they've cleared the dancers, clearly headed for the staircase. Sora and Kairi watch as they move, going the long way to avoid walking past Leon and the delegates.

"Where do you think they're going?" Kairi whispers, barely containing her excitement at what just might be taking place here.

Sora can relate, a grin slowly spreading across his face. In his mind, he can't help but flash back to a similar sight from one year ago. "The right direction," is all he says in reply, pressing a kiss to Kairi's cheek. Buoyed by their sudden joy, the couple begin dancing with even more passion than before.

**KH-KH-KH**

Generally speaking, Riku doesn't panic much. No one who spent the better part of a year flitting in and out of the Realm of Darkness really should. After all, most situations, however new and terrifying, naturally tend to seem less dire after something like that. And yet here is he, panicking indeed.

In a way, it's a good thing. He's so worried about _why_ exactly this crazy ninja girl who for some strange, undecipherable reason has some kind of interest in him is dragging him along the castle halls, that he's managing to forget _where_ he is altogether. His only brief flash of regret occurs as they skirt around the upper level of the castle's foyer. His eyes immediately fixate on the spot where he'd stood all that time ago, trying to kill his best friend. But by the time the feeling washes over him, he and his companion are bursting through the library door. The large room is lit only by moonlight, shining in through two tall windows by a winding staircase.

He nearly smacks face-first into a fully-stocked shelf, only barely moving far enough right that he only gets his shoulder slammed against the wood. Hissing in pain, Riku instinctively digs his heels in and pulls back his hand.

Yuffie is momentarily stunned, and when she recovers the ninja has a stern look on her face. "Whoa, what gives?"

Riku frowns, rubbing his shoulder. "Are you really asking me that? What are we even doing here?"

"I told you," she replies, "that there was something I wanted to show you. You said okay, told me to lead on."

"Did I?" Riku chuckles, shrugging nervously. To be honest, he'd been in kind of a haze on that dance floor. "I mean, I did. I just didn't think you'd be so forceful about it."

"Oh." Yuffie steps closer, her hand swishing the hem of her dress. "Uh, sorry about that. I guess I wasn't thinking."

The silver-haired young man shrugs. "Oh, it's not really a problem. Um, honestly it's kind of nice. Not being dragged around, but, y'know… How excited you were to show me whatever it is we're seeing."

She straightens up, her smile softening. "Well, I just had a sudden thought, is all. It's been a while, but you know that I still consider myself your Radiant Garden tour guide."

Riku finds himself raising one eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," Yuffie replies with a nod. "And I just thought that there was something no one should come to the Garden and not see."

"The castle library?"

"No, no." She reaches out a hand, and he cautiously takes it. Smiling, the ninja starts gently leading him over to the curved staircase. Without further explanation, she moves to one of the shelves on the top floor. After a moment of deliberation, she removes a single book.

The shelf, and the wall behind it, swing away to reveal a short passageway. Wind whistles through it, and once again Yuffie guides Riku along. Once they're through, the pair find themselves standing on a small balcony. A crystal, glowing slightly blue, floats on a pedestal at the balcony's edge. Beyond that, there's nothing but open air and the stars.

"This is a sight I think everyone should see," Yuffie explains, gesturing for Riku to join her at the edge. "There's something about being above everything."

It's not exactly the most spectacular view. Though from this vantage point, they can see over the wall that surrounds the city. Beyond that is nothing but a vast valley of blue stone, natural formations of smooth rock jutting out here and there. And in between, if one looks hard enough, small clusters of slowly growing trees can be seen.

"It's pretty nice," Riku agrees. Though, honestly he can't quite figure the young woman's logic. This definitely isn't the highest balcony in the castle, and certainly a view of the cityscape would be more impressive. What is it about this vantage point?

She seems to sense his confusion, frowning at her silver-haired guest. "Yeah, I guess it isn't all _that_ impressive," she quips, allowing herself a small chuckle. "But I've heard good things about this spot."

Riku nods, not quite sure why he's doing it. "Look, it's not _that_ bad. And besides, it's one place in this stupid castle I _don't_ have any bad memories of." Yuffie looks at him, and suddenly the silver-haired young man regrets his last words. What they bring up in him is definitely not something to talk about with a girl he likes. "Sorry, shouldn't have brought that up."

The ninja shrugs, subtly stepping closer while he's distracted. She turns her body, facing Riku fully with the smallest of grins on her face. "No, it's fine. I know all the basics. And, um, if that's all you ever want me to know then we're cool."

He hesitates, sensing uncharted territory. "It, um, isn't something I really talk about a lot. Just with Kairi and Sora, really."

She lays a reassuring hand on his, looking straight at him without the slightest waver. "That's fine."

Riku lets out a brief sigh, the corner of his mouth quirking upward just slightly. "Yeah, it isn't exactly first date discussion material, is it?"

"First date, huh?" Yuffie draws her hand back, mischief glittering in her eyes. She playfully checks his hip with hers. "Is that what this is, then?"

"Well," he replies, looking away for a brief moment before deciding to face her head on, "okay, maybe not quite." A deep breath, and then, "But, um, I won't deny it's making me want one."

"Really?" Yuffie says, gripping the balcony railing tighter. She looks down, quietly muttering to herself, "Az was right, this place works."

When the ninja looks up again, she quickly notices that Riku's attention is no longer on her. Instead, the silver-haired young man stares up into the sky. Miffed, Yuffie finds herself following his gaze. It takes her a moment, but she soon realizes that something, _several_ somethings in fact, are flapping through the calm night. At first she dismisses them as merely a flock of birds, but as they get closer she can tell that they're much larger than any avian she knows.

"What are those?" she finds herself asking, even as the strange shapes become more distinct. They remind her suddenly of the bats that sometimes nested in Traverse Town's underground cavern. By the time she's finished the question, something new has become apparent about the odd creatures. Their small, softly glowing yellow eyes. The ninja feels her jaw clenching, knowing instinctively what eyes like those mean.

"Great," Riku comments dryly, halfheartedly knocking the balcony railing with one fist. "Trouble."

Yuffie nods, wishing she'd brought along her purse and the shuriken within. "Heartless."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as an FYI, I'm trying with shorter chapters for this story. This isn't one of them, but whatever.


	3. Under Attack

It must take a special kind of guts to be a leader, Sora thinks as he carefully chews through his entree. The beef dish is excellent, with a creamy sauce that sends his taste buds absolutely soaring. And those potatoes…

Anyway, leadership. The Keybearer isn't exactly a stranger to the concept. More often than not, people tend to look to him in times of crisis, from Azlyn and Telary on down to random people he's barely met. Something about possessing an ancient, powerful weapon must give off that effect. But _being_ a leader of something like a city or kingdom, the kind of thing Mickey Mouse does, must require something extra.

What other explanation could there be for how calm Leon is being, managing intercity relations while his ex-girlfriend sits directly across from him. It would be easy enough to simply ignore her outright, especially considering just how wildly talkative and complimentary of everything Laguna is being. But somehow, someway, the Restoration Committee leader manages to make it feel like even Rinoa is being carefully included in everything he says.

"For the last time," Laguna tells Sergeant Steiner, somehow managing to snap at the man without any apparent harshness, "I'm pretty sure nobody would be crazy enough to poison the _entire_ _buffet spread_ just to get to me."

Steiner frowns at the president, his nostrils flaring. "Sir, I understand that…"

"If you're hungry, sergeant, then go get your own plate. There's no need to come up with excuses to eat off of mine."

The table's occupants laugh politely, except for Kairi. She feels immediately bad for Steiner as soon as she spots how red his cheeks are getting. Sora apparently notices his girlfriend's lack of humor at the situation, quickly slamming his own mouth shut.

"It must be nice," the Princess of Heart declares, loud enough to get the others to stop, "having such a devoted and attentive security man, Mr. President. I can see that sergeant Steiner does his best to go above and beyond."

Laguna stops laughing, looking at his bodyguard with genuine fondness. "Aw, she's right. I could do without the babying, but still. Good looking out, Sarge."

Steiner still blushes, trying to cover it with a snappy salute. "Um, thank you very much sir. You know what, I think I will go and find something to eat."

"Thank you for that, Kairi," Rinoa says, smiling at the younger girl. She then casts a quick look around the table. "We would all do well to show that same kindness and understanding."

If Leon noticed how her gaze lingered upon him just a bit longer than the others, he doesn't say. With a steady look, he dutifully starts in on his broccoli like the big grown up boy scout he is.

"I notice," Aerith says, turning to look at Ardyn while she picks at her steaming corn, "that you haven't said much tonight, Mr. Chancellor."

He smiles at her. "Well, what is there to say, really? Yours is quite the marvelous city. I'm afraid that even before the Fall I never had occasion to visit it. Now that I have… Well, I should hope there might someday be an opportunity to stay for an extended period."

"Not while there's so much going on back home," Laguna puts in, shaking his head. "Restructuring a government is hard work. Even _this_ visit won't be able to continue as long as I would like, unfortunately. But, three days is a long time to be gone in the early days of a new administration. Which reminds me, I want to check up on Celes right after dinner."

"Well," Aerith says, easily resuming her conversation, "I'm sure that once things settle down, all over I mean, you would really enjoy an extended stay here in the Garden."

"I have to agree," Mickey chimes in. It's the first time in a while that he's spoken, which concerns Sora somewhat after the talk they'd had. "This place is nothing less than amazing, considerin' the short amount of time you've had to put everything together. I mean, _two_ years?" He focuses his gaze specifically on Leon now, warmth and kindness radiating from his big eyes. "Ansem the Wise would be so proud of what you've done."

Both Restoration Committee members look appropriately touched, nodding their thanks to the king. Laguna, meanwhile, has an oddly thoughtful look about him.

"Ansem the Wise, eh?" he says, frowning as he uses his fork to mix some peas around. "So what _is_ the story there anyway? Because I was looking over some really old intelligence files we managed to dig up before I came, and there were some pretty crazy rumors going around back then."

The Radiant Garden citizens and their offworld friends exchange glances around the table, a sudden air of nervousness permeating the room. Mickey looks especially sheepish, coughing briefly into his napkin.

"I read those same reports," Ardyn agrees, apparently not noticing the others' discomfort. He turns an open, questioning look to Leon. "He became quite reclusive as the Fall approached. Some even suggested he was involved somehow."

Once again, Leon displays his worthiness to lead. He waves his hand at the others, firmly establishing that this conversation, which needed to happen eventually, is his to have. After a moment of firming up his resolve, Leon turns to Bright Oasis's president.

And then, without warning, all the lights in the castle go out.

The ballroom manages to avoid falling into total darkness, the decorative battery-operate lights at each table providing some meager illumination, and the moon streaming in from the wall of windows helping keep the dance floor somewhat lit.

Still, the sudden lack of meaningful light inevitably causes some consternation. Especially in a city so well-acquainted with what the darkness can hide. A few screams, mostly from children, ring out through the room. Then, just as the shock is starting to wear off and real panic is about to begin, the chandelier lights up just as suddenly as it had gone out.

Leon and Sora are already on their feet, and somehow Steiner got to Laguna's side within the few seconds of darkness. On a similar note, Cid is rushing toward their table, leaving a miffed LeBlanc behind on the dance floor.

"What's going on?" Leon snaps at the older mechanic, casting a nervous glance to Bright Oasis's bewildered president.

Cid just shrugs. "Beats the hell outta me. Power messed up, though I guess that was obvious. But even now things aren't quite as bright. Must be on backup power."

"Oh, why don't you ask Tron?" Sora pipes up. "He should know all about power grid stuff, right?"

"Is everything okay, really?" Laguna asks, standing up and moving to join the conversation. Steiner follows behind like the president's own shadow.

"Just give me a damn second and I'll figure it out!" Cid snaps, pulling back the sleeve of his jacket to reveal a small monitor mounted on his wrist. He extends a small antenna from it, then furiously jabs his thumb at the screen.

It lights up to reveal Tron's face, emitting its usual slight blue glow. The program frowns up at Cid, his eyes flickering from spot to spot like he's tracking an invisible insect. "One moment, please."

"One moment!" Cid roars, his face turning an alarming shade of red. "I didn't invent this damn thing just so you could put me on call waiting in a crisis, ya pixelated little…"

"Okay," Tron interrupts, perfectly calm despite being screamed at. "I was just making sure I had everything in proper order before I responded. It looks like whatever happened to the power generator was purely physical, I can't access anything from that system and it's not due to a block."

"So the generator itself is trashed," Leon says, earning a nod from the system administrator. "I suppose that tells us something right there."

"An attack," Sora reasons, his fists clenching hard.

"The outage is definitely local," Tron continues to explain, once again looking over data. "The castle's power is the only failure I'm seeing. Backup power is on now, which I'm sure you all can tell. As for your 'attack' theory, I can't say for certain from my position. Its possible that the generator just wasn't up to task for operating the castle at such high energy levels. Even with the improvements Cid has tried to make…"

"It's better to assume the worst," Leon declares. "How does being on backup power affect the security system?"

Tron opens his mouth to answer, only to suddenly close it in a deep frown. "Security sensors just got tripped in the study. Accessing cameras now…"

Whatever the program finds, the familiar sound of opening dark portals throws it out onto the backburner. The Heartless have arrived. Interestingly enough, the monsters' appearance doesn't seem to startle the residents of Radiant Garden half as much as the earlier sudden loss of light. Perhaps that first incident prepared their hearts for what comes now.

Or possibly, they're simply used enough to a crisis like this that they know immediately how to react. Mothers and fathers reach for their children, spouses prepare to protect each other, and any friend a person has on hand becomes an immediate ally. Whatever else living from crisis to crisis has done, it has made the people of Radiant Garden strong and prepared.

Sora doesn't see any of that, or rather he chooses to put his focus where it can be best put to use. By the time Kingdom Key is gripped in his hand, he can already feel Kairi and Mickey at his side with both their blades drawn as well.

"Nobody gets hurt," Sora declares, the others nodding in agreement. "Not one scratch."

The Keyblade wielders rush out to help, each one taking a different section of the room. Sora runs immediately into the thick of the Heartless, his silver blade flashing in the dim light as he slices through the creatures two and three at a time.

Kairi isn't too far away, though by now the original Keybearer has learned well that he doesn't need to keep a watchful eye on his girlfriend anymore. While she doesn't quite possess the depth of field experience he does, she's been taught by anybody willing to teach and has seen a bit of combat herself. Certainly enough to handle a few Heartless.

Mickey remains in the dining area, his natural and perfected acrobatics sending him hopping from table to table. His golden Keyblade, some kind of reverse twin to Sora's, flashes even brighter than the boy's as he nails flying Heartless midair. That's good, providing a beacon in the sea of tables.

The three Keyblade wielders provide the main defense, but of course they aren't the only fighters. Even without his gunblade, Leon easily grabs the nearest chair and starts swinging, if not killing the Soldiers that surround him at least knocking them away to where they can't be any trouble. Aerith brings a centerpiece down on creeping Shadow, while Steiner finally gets to prove his bodyguarding prowess. His pistol flashes and fills the air with the loud _bang_ of gunfire, perfect for taking out airborne targets. A Fluttering takes a direct shot to the head, dissipating into nothing before it even hits the ground.

Laguna feels his own fingers twitching, his military experience against the Heartless that would regularly attack the walls of Bright Oasis coming fresh to mind. Ardyn, a civilian through and through, seems content to let those who are so inclined do the defending.

And all around, others take up the fight too. Quistis, though bereft of her whip, easily shifts into hand-to-hand combat. Someone else, Irvine of the Radiant Garden Defense Force Specialty Squad pulls out a pair of pistols, grinning beneath the wide-brimmed hat he wears as he fires at airborne Heartless. Beside him, a pale-skinned girl in black, Lulu, unleashes waves of magic.

Even ordinary citizens without special skills or training do what they can. Near the buffet table, in fact, a rather short gray-haired woman resorts to simply using her bamboo purse to whack any creatures that get near her and her friends! As he arrives and starts slashing away to provide a safe path to evacuate, Mickey can't help but feel mighty impressed.

Sora slashes through two Soldiers, then ducks as a Fluttering comes swooping down. Rising again, he stabs through the creature's chest as if it's a marshmallow for roasting. As it fades, something sharp cuts through his tuxedo jacket to strike at his back. Whatever it is, it thankfully only stays solid for a second before fading out.

He whirls to see several Heartless of a kind he's never encountered: short humanoid creatures in drab gray clothing, large red hats atop their heads. Each one holds a bow in its hand, full quiver at its side.

More arrows, thin lines of dark energy, come flying at him. Gritting his teeth, Sora swings his Keyblade in a wide arc to block. The arrows dissipate upon contact, though a few get through and manage to do some minor damage. Thoroughly frustrated now, the Keybearer charges forward to close the distance.

He only gets a few steps closer before the necessity vanishes. Three bullets and a fireball quickly dispose of the ranged annoyances. Sora spares a brief glance over his shoulder, just in time to see Lulu and Irvine refocusing their efforts toward other areas. And Kairi approaching, Light energy briefly illuminating her hand and disintegrating a trio of Flutterings midair.

"Quite the show," she declares, sliding to a stop beside him. Her feet are bare, the heels she was wearing rather prohibitive to intense combat. "What's it covering up?"

"Someone's in the study," Sora reports, blocking an Archer's arrow before turning his blade to decapitate a Soldier. "They must be after something from the computer. Tron can probably hold anything off for a while, but someone needs to get down there."

"You know the place better," Kairi admits, sidestepping a Soldier's charge before taking it out with a backhanded swing. Two Flutterings swoop down, but she quickly reverses her blade's momentum and slices them into four disintegrating pieces. "I think we've got this."

"KEYBLADE WIELDER!" a boisterous voice echoes through the room, somehow managing to remain earsplitting even over all the room's other noises.

After exchanging a quick look, Sora and Kairi turn to see Gilgamesh enter the room. The tall warrior in red armor moves down the steps with a dramatic swagger, a somewhat tattered coat covering his torso until the "big reveal". Once he reaches the first landing, he stops.

"YOU MAY HAVE ELUDED MY GRASP THUS FAR!" he continues to shout, his cloak spreading wider as he places both hands on his hips. "BUT TODAY, YOUR RECKONING HAS COME!"

"Oh boy," Sora sighs, shaking his head even as he casually crushes a Shadow. "I guess this one's on me, huh?"

Kairi shakes her head. She's already on the move, striding towards the stairs with determination in every step. Sora has to jog to quickly close the distance and walk in step beside her. "He doesn't deserve the satisfaction. You need to get to the study, I can handle him again. Use the right staircase. And be really obvious about it, I want to provide the drama this time."

No Heartless give them any bother while the Keyblade-wielding couple makes their way to the staircase, though whether it's because their master commands it or they just have their hands full is unknown. Though the dark creatures keep coming, it's becoming clear that this isn't a battle that will go their way.

"Ah, finally we meet face-to-face again," Gilgamesh gloats, a smile on his pale white face as he watches Sora coming up the stairs. He throws back his cloak, revealing the red armor on his torso and, of course, all four of his arms. They all reach behind his back, each producing a sword. It would probably be very dramatic, if the Keybearer hadn't seen it happen before. "Maleficent informed me of your treachery in our last encounter, Sora. If that indeed is you, and not yet another wigged impostor!"

"It's me," Sora confirms, stopping just a few steps below the landing and gripping Kingdom Key's handle with his free hand. "But I don't think you're gonna be very happy with this encounter either."

The villain chuckles at the threat, always happy to participate in a spirited exchange of banter. "Oh, I do believe I will. No more tricks, simply my steel against yours. For today, Sora, we fight like men!"

"Funny you should say it like that," the Keybearer replies, grinning.

For all his brashness and overinflated ego, Gilgamesh is still a battle-honed warrior. His instincts cry out just in time to turn slightly and deflect Kairi's downward-slashing Keyblade with the sword held in the hand of his upper left arm. He slashes with the lower, but she's already skipped out of range.

"Afraid you're still not Sora's priority," the redhead declares, holding her blade diagonal across her chest. "But I'm ready for round two."

Gilgamesh's eyes narrow, the old shame of his defeat at Olympus Coliseum filling him with anger. "I am not the same man I was when last we met, you ginger joke! None of your lightshows will win you this day." He grimaces, a pouty look coming over his face. "And besides, this is finally my big chance to face Sora!"

But when he glances toward his desired opponent, the red-clad minion finds him gone. Spluttering in angry confusion, Gilgamesh turns his head just in time to see Sora rushing out the door.

"Oh, come _on_!" he shouts, stamping his foot against the floor like a petulant child. Taking a deep breath, he turns to fully face Kairi and raises all of his blades. "Fine, whatever. Today, we fight like… like a man and a lady!"

Only the fact that four swords come swinging for her prevents Kairi from rolling her eyes right out of their sockets.

**KH-KH-KH**

No Heartless challenge Sora as he rides the lift stop across to the castle's entrance hall, giving the boy a much-needed moment to stop and take a breath. Once he's gotten himself together physically, he finds himself hammered by an emotional strike. It's the same one he's been feeling for a while now, and something that just a year ago he almost never would have felt.

Sora is tired. He wants to rest.

It's just as he told King Mickey only a few hours ago. He used to love the rush of adventure, fighting and defeating evil, keeping the Realm of Light safe. He'd missed his home, certainly, and to return was always his goal, but along the way he'd been happy to help wherever he could. It was everything a boy could want, back then with just Sora, Azlyn, and Telary against the universe's dark forces. The rush of heroism could always, however temporarily, push back his need to return to Destiny Islands.

But since he _has_ returned, the thrill is definitely losing its potency. Every time he leaves the islands and finds himself embroiled in chaos, it diminishes even more. Perhaps it's natural, wishing to move beyond constant fighting for peace. Or, maybe he was never as happy to be out saving the universe as he convinced himself he was.

He thankfully doesn't have much time to stew over it all, though. The library door remains open just a few inches, and the sounds of battle waft out into the hall. Steeling himself, Sora rushes through the door.

He nearly trips over a trio of Soldiers, just barely skidding to a halt before impact. The Heartless take note, turning and immediately putting their sharp claws to work. Sora blocks blows from two of them, but the third manages to slip around his guard and slash into the Keybearer's arm. Shocked by the sudden pain, he jerks left, nudging the three Soldiers into each other. He slashes downward to bisect one vertically, then on a horizontal upswing manages to decapitate the other two.

Sora takes a deep breath to center himself, just in time to see Riku flipping backwards over the second floor's railing. The silver-haired young man lands easily, grimacing as a trio of Blue Rhapsodies follow after him with blasts of icy blue energy. Riku raises a shield to block, before thrusting out his left hand and a ball of dark purple fire. It catches two of the small mages, the third ducking aside as it prepares another blast.

It doesn't get the chance to fire, as Yuffie comes over the railing now, a straight downward dive with both arms held out. She catches the Heartless in both hands, bringing it along for the ride. Grunting, she flips over and throws it. The Rhapsody hits the ground hard as she lightly lands behind it. Riku stabs Way to Dawn into the creature, and it disappears in a burst of glowing particles.

His mouth turned down in a pronounced frown, Riku turns to Sora. "I assume something's up?"

Sora opens his mouth to answer, but a cry from Yuffie stops the Keybearer short. He whirls around, just in time to watch the bookshelf behind him start to tip forward. He instinctively throws up his hand, Riku and Yuffie joining him on either side. Together, the trio manage to keep the heavy shelf from squashing them all flat.

Using all their strength, they throw it back the way it had come. Several Soldiers who had been climbing over the diagonal shelf finds themselves suddenly falling back down. Luckily, the bulk of the Large Body that had pushed the shelf over in the first place keeps it from completing its backwards fall and destroying them all. Flexing one arm, the round Heartless pushes the shelf back.

Sora, Riku, and Yuffie are clear of the crush zone, and as soon as the shelf settles they're all atop it and rushing the Heartless. The Large Body swings its fist, but Yuffie flips over it and to the side, while Riku leaps directly over and swings his Keyblade down at the large creature's invulnerable front. Obviously no damage is done, but its enough of a distraction for Sora to make it to its back while still casually taking out the lingering Soldiers. A single swing of Kingdom Key destroys the large monster, leaving the library calm and quiet.

"There's a big attack going on in the ballroom," Sora explains, as if there hadn't been a fight since Riku asked his question. "But it's a distraction. Something's going down in Ansem's study too, probably with the computer."

"We still haven't disconnected that thing?" Yuffie grumbles.

"And I guess you were planning on taking a look?" Riku asks, sardonic even in the face of danger. He doesn't even wait for his friend to respond before nodding, "Yeah, of course. I'll go with you."

Sora smiles. "Sure thing."

"I'm gonna get back to the ballroom," Yuffie declares, already moving toward the door. "Much as I'd love to join you fine boys, I gotta keep an eye on my people. Good luck though." With one last brief look to Riku, she exits the library.

The boys head for the room's back wall, where what was once yet another secret-passage bookshelf has been replaced with some crude plywood and a plain door. Sora opens it up and steps onto the balcony behind, where an elevator platform waits to take them down.

"So," Sora says as their descent begins, looking at Riku with a poorly contained grin. "You and Yuffie in the library, huh?"

The silver-haired young man lets out a sigh before answering. "She just wanted to show me something. And talk away from all the party noise."

"And was it a _nice_ talk?" Sora asks as the platform halts with a light shake. Riku is the first out, walking at a brisk pace that has nothing to do with the situation's actual urgency. "C'mon, you can tell me. What're friends for?"

"Maybe another time," Riku says as they enter the twisting network of corridors beneath the castle. "Now, which way are we supposed to go here? C'mon, this is a serious situation."

Sora decides not to take the matter further, especially since Riku has a point about seriousness. He leads the way, though his memory of the correct route is far from perfect. Still, the pair manage to make their way through without getting lost more than once. The door to Ansem's study is fully opened, what they can see of the room beyond completely empty and silent.

The Keyblade wielders enter with maximum stealth, looking around the small space for any sign of intruders. Their eyes are immediately drawn to where one wall is gone completely, revealing a dull grey hallway much like that of the corridors before. The faint sound of humming wafts through the opening, underscored by a light persistent clicking. Fingers on a keyboard, Sora guesses.

Remaining silent, the boys enter. The hallway, though short, curves at steep ninety-degree angles every few feet, limiting their visibility while also increasing stealth. If Sora is recalling correctly, there should only be two turns before the computer room is visible, offering a perfect charging distance.

That's his plan anyway. Then they turn and find themselves staring at a dark blue metal orb the size of a blitzball. Before either of the boys have time to be curious, a loud _click_ emanates from the orb, and it ignites in a fiery explosion.

Riku manages to react in time, throwing up one of his dark shields just before the bomb goes off. He and Sora still find themselves at the mercy of the explosion's force though, thrown back into the study. Riku tumbles all the way into the back wall, while Sora's smacks into the desk and flips over.

Luckily, neither of the Keyblade wielders are strangers to recovering from shocking throws. Groaning, they both manage to rise to their feet. Sora, happy to be alive even if there is considerable pain, prepares to inform Pete that they'd survived his little trap.

He barely gets his mouth open before a tentacle-like appendage made of some black, inky substance wraps itself around his throat. Moments later, a vaguely humanoid shape made of the same slithers out of the hallway. Sora immediately recognizes the Blot, barely gasping in any air before the tentacle around his throat begins to squeeze.

Riku makes an impressive leap from his landing spot, clearing the desk by a good foot before bringing Way to Dawn down on the tentacle strangling his best friend. It separates from the main body with an icky _squelch_ noise. A moment later, another choked noise from Sora indicates that it's continuing to operate independently.

There's no time to deal with that now, unfortunately. The Blot lurches after Riku, more tentacles growing from the main lump. They strike out at the silver-haired young man, forcing him to focus on his own troubles.

Meanwhile Sora drops the Keyblade, instead wrapping both hands around his noose. He pulls with all his might, but to no avail. The thing simply has too strong a grip. He tries to breath, but nothing gets through his windpipe. Darkness begins to encroach around the boy's vision, his head feeling as if it's swimming underwater.

_No!_ Sora declares inside his head. This can' be how he goes down, not after everything he's been through. Every thought is a struggle, but he just needs to find some kind of spark for an idea.

And suddenly, he has it. The Keybearer closes his eyes, focusing on the energy inside of him. With his last thought before unconsciousness claims him, he releases it in a single magic spell. His hands spark and crackle, white light forming around them as he discharges an electrical current in a low level Thunder spell.

The magical electricity sinks into the millions of tiny nanomachines that make up the Blot. Suddenly overwhelmed by the surge of power, each of them fail at once. The solid tentacle falls apart, in the form of a gooey sludge that oozes down Sora's jacket and shirt. He watches it slide, his head feeling too heavy to lift. So much for this suit, then.

Sora sucks in as much air as he can, happy to feel the oxygen flowing throughout his body with each lungful he gulps down. After a few moments, he finds himself able to move his neck, though the lingering pain is still discomfiting.

Riku is still struggling against the rest of the Blot, his blade working double-time to cut off all the limbs coming at him. Eventually, one manages to slip through, grabbing his right arm and preventing it from bringing the Keyblade to bear. The silver-haired wielder struggles, but more and more tentacles wrap themselves all around him.

Gritting his teeth, Sora raises his right hand toward the semi-sentient sludge's main body. Once again he calls upon his internal energy, releasing more of it this time. Half a dozen bolts of lightning lance down from thin air, producing a halo of energy around the nanomachinary collective. It shudders, wildly flailing about even as it starts dissolving.

Riku grimaces at the slimy substance the fading Blot leaves behind, doing his best to wipe it off. He only succeeds in just spreading it around. "You don't happen to know any water spells, do you?" he asks Sora in a toneless deadpan.

"It's not that bad," the Keybearer declares, rubbing his sore neck. He's still breathing carefully, glad for each lungful. "Besides," he quips, his free hand casually gesturing to his own tuxedo, "now we match. C'mon!"

The boys rush back into the gray hall, no longer concerned with stealth. They reach the end in seconds, spotting Pete within the computer room. Dressed in his usual blue and red jumpsuit, the fat cat stands over the terminal, frowning at its screen. All it's displaying at the moment is lines of code, most of it colored an angry red. The rest glows green, but that color's presence seems to diminish by the second.

Sora is first into the room. Or he would be, if it weren't for the invisible field barring him from entering. He crashes into it headlong, suddenly feeling the Blot's pain as electricity discharges into his body. Riku wisely stops short of ramming into it.

Pete turns to face the Keyblade wielders, a toothy grin spread across his jowls. "Well, if it ain't the Keybrat and Maleficent's old toy. Figured you'd show up eventually. How'd ya like seeing the Blot again?"

"It was a shock," Riku shoots back, steaming from the "old toy" comment. "Not quite as much as the one we gave it."

The fat cat seems annoyed for a brief second, his grin shrinking a few centimeters. "Ah, well I guess that's what I get fer not takin' the time to insulate. Well, I kept ya outta my hair for a minute anyway." He looks at Sora, still a bit woozy from the shock. "Put your guard down considerable too, I suspect."

"You just got a cheap shot!" Sora shoots back. He summons the Keyblade in a flash, bringing it down hard on the force field. There's a brief flash of white light at the impact point, but the shield holds. His next swing produces the same results.

Pete watches his enemy's frustration with clear satisfaction. It only seems to grow when a loud _ding_ emanates from Ansem's computer. A black and gray disc pops out of the terminal, and Maleficent's minion gingerly picks it up between two large fingers. For the first time, Sora notices some kind of metal gauntlet attached to his right hand.

"What's on that disc?" Riku demands, almost stepping forward before he remembers the field once again. "What are you after here?"

Pete unleashes a loud, boisterous laugh at that, his belly shaking. Behind him, a portal of darkness appears. "Oh sure, like I'm just gonna tell ya outright! Ain't quite got the hang of this hero/villain thing yet, eh?"

"We'll know soon enough!" Sora retorts. "Tron's gonna have a record of exactly what you stole!"

If the Keybearer expects his nemesis to be shocked by that statement, he's in for a disappointment. The fat cat just laughs again, taking a step back toward his dark exit. "Sure thing, Squirt." Shaking his head, he holds up his right arm, a small noise coming from the gauntlet. "Alright Gil, show's over. We got what we came for." With a mocking wave, Pete turns and enters the portal. It begins to close, some small object flying out just before it disappears.

By the time Sora and Riku realize that it's yet another bomb, there's a loud click, then an explosion. The boys step back and raise their hands, a futile attempt at protection if it weren't for the force field. It sparks bright blue all over, holding out just long enough for the danger to pass before failing completely.

Thick black smoke fills the hall, swallowing the Keyblade wielders in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI, this chapter officially put the Keys to the Kingdom series over the million words mark!


	4. Plans Of Action

All in all, things could have been much worse.

In spite of the Heartless attack, the citizens of Radiant Garden remain safe and healthy. There were no casualties, only a few minor injuries and a whole lot of dinners gone cold. Though obviously and rightfully frightened, Leon and the rest of the Restoration Committee had managed to convince everyone that the town's security system remains intact, and they could all return to their homes knowing that the trouble had passed.

As for the Restoration Committee members themselves, it's another long night of cleanup ahead for them. But first, answers. What answers they can get, anyway.

They won't come from Ansem's computer, that's for certain. Though not completely slagged, the terminal sustained enough damage to put it out of order for at least the foreseeable future. The digitization machine is pretty much shot, but that's been unplugged for months now anyway.

"Despite a lot of functional damage to the terminal," Tron explains, his voice emanating from a round mobile drone about the size of Sora's head, "the main CPU managed to survive intact. That means the local system is still accessible from the overall network."

They've all gathered in Ansem's study, packed quite close into the small room. The Bright Oasis delegation stand close to the door, eyeing everything with a kind of cautiously interested suspicion. Especially Steiner, who Laguna had to severely pull rank on to stop from making them all leave the city immediately.

Leon notes their mood, fighting to keep his face stoic even as he wants to scowl. He hadn't wanted them coming down here yet, even going so far as to avoid mentioning its existence altogether on the initial castle tour. But there's no hiding it now.

"So, you can tell us what Pete took?" Mickey asks, leaning against his old friend's desk. "The data he got, I mean?"

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid that won't be possible," the administrative program explains, his electronic voice somehow conveying sheepishness. "At least, not in a way that will be of much help."

"What do you mean by that?" Leon asks, barely keeping his voice controlled. Beside him, Yuffie and Aerith exchange worried glances.

"That tubby son of a bitch basically took everything he could get his grubby paws on," Cid chimes in, leaning against the wall next to the computer room's entrance. "More or less downloaded Ansem's whole stinkin' playbook. At least, that's what we can figure, considering he deleted everything once he'd made his copy."

"You mean Xehanort's playbook," Aerith says, glancing briefly at their Bright Oasis guests. Ardyn seems passive as ever, but Laguna wears an undisguised frown.

"Who?" the president asks, narrowing his eyes at Leon. Rinoa looks quite intrigued as well.

"You really never heard of him?" Sora can't resist asking, drawing all attention to himself. He doesn't seem to mind. "Xehanort was Ansem's apprentice, one of them anyway. He and some of his buddies were the ones doing all the Heartless experiments, they just blamed Ansem the wise."

"Heartless experiments?" Laguna repeats, sending every Radiant Garden citizen's blood turning cold. "What exactly does that mean? I thought that witch Maleficent brought the Heartless to Radiant Garden. That's what you said."

"And that's what happened," Leon explains, uncrossing his arms and adopting a more open, diplomatic tone. "We simply never got around to giving you the whole story."

"I'll say," Laguna declares, displaying his harsher demeanor for the first time. From a man normally so amiable, it's rather disconcerting. "Did you or did you not deliberately hide this place from us? I don't recall you mentioning a secret underground laboratory on the tour. Frankly, I consider that a bit more important than how many bathrooms there are."

"It's not the kind of thing you bring up casually," Leon replies, somehow retaining his calm. "I promise you, eventually I would have shown you this place, and told you the whole story."

"We thought it might… color your opinion," Aerith says gently. "After all, there are still pockets of the citizenry that take issue with the Xehanort story."

"Then the intelligence reports we had were, at the very least, a portion of the truth?" Ardyn asks, tilting his head inquisitively. "The castle was involved somehow in the Fall?"

"It's just like Sora said," Riku says. "Ansem's apprentice, Xehanort, was not a well man by any means, psychologically speaking. He and five others sent Ansem to a place called the Realm of Darkness, then carried on experiments he never would have approved of."

"But Xehanort signed everything he did as 'Ansem'," Sora adds. "He was, like, _really_ crazy and thought that's who he was. I fought and defeated him." He neglects to mention how two different aspects of them man were involved, since for now all they really need is the story's simplest version. "Ansem the Wise died helping me in that fight."

"He also helped my brother and one of my friends escape this world before the Fall," says Kairi. "He isn't the bad guy here."

"Not that he was a particularly jolly guy," Riku can't resist throwing in. "Of course I only knew him _after_ he'd sworn revenge."

"He was my friend," Mickey says with an air of finality. "Xehanort and the other apprentices corrupted his legacy through their heinous actions, but Ansem was a good man."

Laguna is silent for a long moment, still holding himself tightly. Eventually, he lets out a resigned sigh. "Yeah, okay. I guess I can see why you wouldn't want all that craziness out in the open right away. If you didn't know about the whole military dictatorship thing already, I probably wouldn't have led with it either."

"So, can we move on or what?" Cid asks with his usual blunt gruffness.

"Yeah, sure," Bright Oasis's president concedes. He takes a few steps backwards to the rest of his party.

"How the heck did Pete manage to hack the computer so easily?" Sora says, scratching his chin. "I mean, the guy's an idiot."

"This was no idiot's program," Tron declares. "I've never seen anything like it. It ate through my security programs like they weren't even there."

"Plus the force field," Riku adds, arms crossed. "And that weird glove he was wearing. It seems Maleficent's upped her tech level. Odds are good she's recruiting again."

"So whatever this new plan is, it's something big," Kairi says, shaking her head. "I can't help but wonder if that means she'll be after the Princesses again."

Sora grimaces. The thought of Kairi being taken away from him again is like a stab directly to the gut. He reaches out for her hand, and she squeezes his right back. "There's something else, too," he says, drawing everyone's attention again. "I saw something weird go on with some stars on our trip over."

"Each star represents another world," Leon helpfully explains to those not in the know. "If a star goes out, that means the Heartless have claimed it."

"And that's bad," Yuffie chimes in unnecessarily.

"What exactly do you mean by weird?" Riku asks, frowning. "And why didn't you tell us about this?"

Sora shrugs nervously. "Well, I dunno. I just thought it was… Okay, look, I'm sorry."

"It's not that big a deal," Kairi assures her boyfriend, squeezing his hand and shooting a warning look to Riku. "Just tell us what you saw."

"They flickered," the Keybearer explains for what feels like the hundredth time. "A bunch of them in a cluster. But before I could really get a sense of it, they were all back. Took maybe five seconds from start to finish."

"What exactly does that mean?" Aerith asks. "I've never heard of that happening before."

"I think we need more information here," Mickey declares. "I'm gonna call Chip and Dale, see if they can scan for anything like that happening again. Plus, they should be able to detect any high concentrations of Darkness that mean a heavy Heartless presence."

"And," Sora adds, "I think we should try and get in contact with Azlyn and Telary. If something is going down, then I want them with us."

"Agreed," Kairi says.

Mickey nods. "Okay, sure, that sounds good. I'll need to go back to my ship to make the call." He turns to Leon "Is that okay?"

The Restoration Committee leader sighs, nodding. "Yes, go ahead. I assume Cid and Tron are going to be doing all they can to get a better read on the stolen data?"

"I'm gonna need a lotta coffee," Cid says, shaking his head. "Oh, and somebody should tell LeBlanc to go ahead and leave without me. She's running cleanup with Phineas and Ferb."

"Um, if everybody's wrapping up," Laguna interrupts, drawing all the attention back to him, "I just gotta know, how much danger is Bright Oasis in with all this going on?"

"Probably not very much," Aerith says calmly. "This world's Keyhole has been sealed, and I don't think you would have any data Maleficent would want. The only worry would be an increased Heartless presence."

"Nothing we aren't used to," the president says. For a few moment's he remains silent, scratching his chin. "Okay, y'know what? I think we'll be extending our trip after all."

Rinoa and Steiner look to their leader with pronounced frowns. "With all due respect, sir," the sergeant begins, "that's not the right play here. If anything else, we should be getting back to the Oasis _early_ because of this."

"He's right," Rinoa agrees. She looks to Ardyn, but the chancellor has either no objections or nothing to add. "There's work to be done…"

"Not if there's no universe to do it in," Laguna interrupts. He turns to Sora, expression stone serious. "This Maleficent, she's real bad news, right?"

It's Riku who answers, his face grim. "She won't stop until everything is either under her control or ashes. And, not to bring up the sore subject again, but if she wanted Xehanort's data, she wasn't looking for pie recipes."

"Then it's settled," Laguna says with a resolute nod, looking to his retinue with as much authority as he can muster. "I'm the president, and I say we're needed here."

"I can only agree," Ardyn says. "If we've proven anything tonight, it is that our two cities still have a lot to learn about cooperation. What better way to do so than having our leadership spend time together, working toward a common goal?"

"I suppose you're right," Rinoa relents, though not without an obviously resigned sigh. "Still, I think I should return to Bright Oasis. I can do more good holding down the fort there than I can from being here."

She looks to Leon, the former couple sharing a look for several seconds. He looks away first, focusing on the floor instead.

"If you feel that you need to," Laguna tells her gently, "then go ahead. It's a good idea, Rinoa. The people like having you around, they know how much you care about them."

"I'd like to at least stay the three days we agreed upon," Ardyn says. "As I said, this is a lovely and fascinating city. If anything, it's only become _more_ fascinating through tonight's events!"

"Good man," the president says with a little smile. "Besides, just because there's other things going on doesn't mean we can't still talk like we were going to before."

"I suppose not," Leon agrees, though with a voice so emotionless it's almost impossible to know what he really means.

**KH-KH-KH**

Mickey's Gummi ship, the _Valiant_ , isn't quite as large as the one the Destiny Islands trio brought to Radiant Garden. It's just roomy enough for one or two, which was perfect back in the days Mickey was traveling the worlds solo.

But the cockpit is thankfully still big enough for four people to stand in comfortably. While Mickey sets up the communication with Disney Castle, Sora and Kairi look over the ship's control board for any significant differences. Riku says and does nothing, simply sitting back in the cockpit's second chair. He's glad Gummi ships exist for riding around in, but he himself has no experience with piloting one, nor the desire to try.

It takes a few minutes for Chip and Dale to appear on the monitor. Judging by their expressions, and the fact that both of them are still dressed in blue nightgowns, the engineers' sleep cycle has been disrupted for this communique.

"Sorry to bother ya, guys," Mickey apologizes, talking loud to be heard over the sound of Dale yawning. "But it's an emergency."

"No problem, Your Majesty!" Chip says, at least making an effort to appear unperturbed. Dale doesn't even do that, sitting down and closing his eyes in hopes of catching a snooze while his brother talks. "What's the trouble?"

"I need ya to run that scanning program we came up with," the king explains, prompting the diligent chipmunk's eyes to flare wide. "Yeah, we may have some trouble."

Chip nods, turning to a console sized perfect for him and typing away. "Are we looking in any area specifically, or throwing out a wide scan?"

"Wide," Sora suggests, nudging Mickey aside just a little so he can be part of the conversation. "And check for stars that have gone dark too."

Dale's eyes open at that. He rises to his feet, looking less sleepy now. "You mean, like Heartless eatin' 'em kinda goin' out?"

"Uh, yeah. Is there any other kind?"

"There's no need for that," Chip interrupts, shooting an annoyed look at his younger brother's cluelessness. "We got an alarm set up for that, and it hasn't gone off in _years_!"

"Well," the red-nosed mechanic says, absentmindedly rubbing his hands together, "um, the thing is… What if it had?"

Practically everyone startles at that. "WHAT?"

Dale grimaces, shrinking in on himself a little. "It only happened for a few seconds! I checked everything out afterward, and when nothing really showed up, I just figured it glitched. Sometimes the stuff I program does that, if I don't do maybe as thorough a job as I should."

"Did this happen, like, yesterday maybe?" Sora asks, frowning deeply.

The engineer nods. "Yeah, I think so. Around dinnertime, when I was here alone while Chip went to get us some dinner."

"That coincides with when you saw what you saw?" Kairi asks. Her boyfriend nods confirmation.

"Well, now we know there _is_ something going on," Mickey says, smiling weakly. "Uh, so how's that scan going, Chip?"

"Just give it another few seconds," the chipmunk says, frowning at his screen. "Whole universe is a lot of space to scan through." There's a sudden ding, and his face brightens. "Okay, here we go. Hang on, I'm gonna simulcast the results to you."

Kairi flips on another monitor, just as a report comes streaming in. A crude 2D map of the known Realm of Light appears, various colors overlaid on the display. Most all of the screen is colored with orange pixels.

"So, what does this all mean?" Riku asks after a few seconds. His fellow islanders seem just as confused.

Mickey is quiet for a moment before responding. "Well, it isn't _great_ ," he says, frowning. "But it doesn't indicate any areas where there's a particularly high concentration. Certainly not enough to signify a destroyed world."

"And what does _that_ mean?" Sora asks, crossing his arms and squinting at the king. "How could stars have disappeared without worlds being destroyed? And if they _were_ gone for those few seconds and came back… Well, why would that happen anyway?"

"I wish I could say," is all Mickey has to offer. He sighs heavily, shaking his head. "There are so many questions here that I just don't begin to have the answers to."

"Another one for ya," Chip chimes in, frowning at his screen. "According to this, there are some worlds that are… off."

"Off?" Kairi repeats.

"He's right!" Dale exclaims, looking over his brother's shoulder. "It isn't much, but planetary alignments have definitely shifted somewhat."

"Is that a problem?" Sora asks.

"Not a huge one," Mickey answers. "It throws some of our old warp coordinates off, but that isn't the biggest deal. Plus, there's a lot of things we still don't know about the worlds. Maybe this shifting of alignments is a natural phenomenon."

"I hate to have to always play Pessimism Man," Riku chimes in, "but wouldn't it be safer to assume that it _does_ mean something?"

"We can't just go around expecting the worst, Riku!" Sora snaps, startling everyone in the cockpit. Seeing the reaction he caused, the Keybearer takes a deep breath. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to go off like that." He turns to the monitor, giving Chip and Dale the friendliest face he can muster. "Hi. So, whatever's going on, I think we need to get Azlyn and Telary in on it with us. Can you call them up?"

"Sure thing," Dale says, immediately getting to work on the request. "They shoulda been back by now anyway. Funny how… Yow" The engineer stops his thought when Chip slugs him hard in the shoulder. After a brief staredown, Dale gets it. "Uh, not _that_ funny though. They said they might go a few days over schedule."

The next few seconds are oddly tense, Sora actively resisting the urge to pace. The thought of Azlyn and Telary, his best friends, caught up unawares in something as dangerous as all this could shape up to be… Well, it's almost just too much to think about. He feels Kairi's hand on his shoulder, and when he looks at her he sees the warm look she's giving him. Smiling back, he maneuvers his lips into position to kiss her hand.

"Afraid we're not gettin' 'em," Chip says eventually, sending the Keybearer's heartbeat into overdrive. The engineer gasps, waving his hand as he starts explaining further. "But, uh, there are a lot of perfectly natural reasons they wouldn't answer. I mean, it _is_ a honeymoon, and…"

"Do you at least know where they are?" Sora interrupts, preferring to focus on something tangible rather than manufacturing horror scenarios or excuses.

"Definitely do," Dale says with considerable pep, shoving his brother aside and beginning to input commands into the tiny console. "Every ship has a tracker, which wouldn't go out even if there was some kinda problem." This slip earns him another punch. "Oh! Uh, not that there would be!"

The screen with the darkness reading changes, a line of letters and numbers moving across it. Sora quickly starts to memorize the coordinates, even as he hears Kairi scribbling them down. He doesn't really know what it all means, but it least he's got a place to start.

"Keep trying them," he tells the Gummi engineers in his most authoritative voice. "I know it seems kinda pigheaded, but I'm not gonna wait around in hopes that they'll answer. If something _did_ go wrong, they'll need my help sooner rather than later."

"I'm afraid I can't go with you," Mickey says. Off the others' questioning looks, he explains, "All we have right now are questions, and if there's one person who might have answers, it's Yen Sid. I'm not sure where the tower might be right now, but I know a few people who will."

"It's alright," Sora says. "I was planning on going alone anyway." Biting his lip, he risks a quick look at Kairi. The Princess of Heart just gazes at him passively.

After a few seconds, she laughs. "What, you expect me to start protesting right away?"

"Um," he says after a tense moment. "Yeah, kinda."

"I'm staying here," Kairi says. "I want to. If Maleficent wants Princesses of Heart, it's better for me to be with as many people as possible."

"Yeah, that isn't all," Riku declares, crossing his arms and giving his younger friend his most suspicious stare.

"Definitely not," Sora agrees, though his stare isn't nearly as intense.

Kairi sighs. "Fine, okay. I don't really know how to explain it, but… I don't know, I just think I have to stay here. Like I'm needed, or something."

Sora takes her hand, dropping his glare altogether and giving her a big smile. "If that's how you feel, then that's completely fine. You're probably right, you've got good instincts."

"And it's what you wanted her to do anyway," Riku says with a teasing glint in his eye. "Guess I'll stick around too. If they do manage to dig up any more Xehanort research, I want first look at it. I know how the guy thinks, or at least how his Heartless did. Considering he got the most crazy out of the split, that's the train of thought any of his notes will follow."

"I won't be gone long anyway," Sora says, giving everyone his best, most chipper smile. "Even if there is trouble, me and Az and Tel will deal with it quick."

"Well, it's good that we could get this all decided so quick," Mickey says, his expression mirroring Sora's. "It's always best to have a plan."

Sora nods his agreement, thrusting one hand forward. One by one, the others add theirs' to the pile. "Team Keyblade!" he declares boisterously.

Riku groans. "I told you, we are _not_ calling ourselves that!"

"Sorry, just had to try it out!"

**KH-KH-KH**

Rinoa is just shoving her last bag into the transport when she senses someone's presence behind her. The light scent of leather drifts over her, drawing instant recognition. "Hello, Leon," she says without turning around.

The man in question fights off a wince. They way she'd said his name like that, almost disgusted… It isn't a good feeling. "Rinoa, you don't have to go just because of me."

She manages to keep herself from snorting, but just barely. Instead, she simply turns to her old lover with a neutral expression. "I'm not. I meant what I said in the lab. Laguna can stick around and play at adventure all he wants. I have my city to think about."

"You think I'm a hypocrite," Leon says without preamble. "Because I told lies about my city to protect it. But what I did was nothing like what you pulled, and don't pretend it is."

"I don't think you're a hypocrite," Rinoa replies serenely. "The situations are much different, I know that." She takes a step forward, pointedly poking the Restoration Committee leader in the chest. "Which doesn't mean I'm not _pissed_ at you for keeping secrets. You do know that will only make this process harder, right?"

He sighs, staring at the finger for a moment before looking back up at her face. "Aerith said the same thing."

"You should listen to her. And anybody else with an opinion, considering they're most likely not all as emotionally stunted and socially stupid as you are."

To her surprise, that actually gets a laugh out of him. She can feel her eyes widening. "You have a point, I guess." Suddenly, the brief flicker of levity is gone. "I just thought, given your past associations with the Heartless, you might not be thrilled to know that we were sitting on the lab that created them."

"Created?" Rinoa repeats, her jaw dropping.

Leon waves dismissively. "Well, not exactly. He just…" He rolls his eyes. "Look, it isn't important, okay? And I do believe your reaction there just proved my point."

"I just have to know," she says, clenching her jaw just a bit. "Are you _sure_ about this Xehanort story? You have evidence and everything?"

"Enough for me," he replies, rock solid and sure. "I trust Sora's word without question. As for anything that could thoroughly convince anyone _else…_ " He sighs. "Xehanort and the other apprentices were very careful, for some reason it was a big deal that everyone thought Ansem was really behind it. Or maybe they were just giving into his delusion since it let them do as they pleased.

"Regardless, they didn't leave behind much. There was a painting that depicted Xehanort, but it was destroyed last year during a huge Heartless attack. Maybe as an accident, maybe deliberately, I don't know. We told everyone about Ansem's betrayal and madness before rebuilding started, used a lot of rhetoric about moving on from the past. Now we're trying to reverse it all, without much proof, and it's making a lot of people unhappy. Some even think we're all just liars. A lot of people just aren't happy that we ended up in charge of things when we came back from the fall."

"Politics," Rinoa declares, making a sour face. It draws another laugh out of Leon, just a little chuckle. Somehow, the sound seems to change the very air around them.

The Restoration Committee leader allows himself to soften, promising himself that it's for just this once. "You can still make me laugh. Even after everything. Do you think that says something?"

She shrugs, holding his gaze. "I think that things are complicated, and that's just the world we live in." There's a moment of silence, and then Rinoa raises an eyebrow and asks, "Are you a better person than you were, when we were together?"

"Yes," Leon replies without hesitation. For some reason, that makes his old lover's face fall. He reaches out a hand, gently taking her chin between two of his fingers and locking his eyes on to hers. "But I'm definitely not happier."

It takes a moment, but Rinoa nods once, slowly. "You know something? I think I could say the exact same thing. Where does that leave us?"

"I wish I could say."

She draws herself away, his hand falling back to his side. "Maybe one day we'll be able to."

"Yeah," Leon agrees, watching as she backs into her car without breaking his gaze. "I hope so."

Rinoa nods, swinging her feet into the vehicle. Then, with a smile, she holds up a single finger, swinging it slowly right and left like a metronome. "You're going to miss me. You're going to _miss_ me!"

Leon laughs once again, third time's the charm. Suddenly it's like he's fifteen years old again, an odd girl in a white dress standing in front of him while soft music plays and young couples awkwardly slow dance. He knows they aren't those people anymore, and there's no way they can be.

But for just one moment, as Rinoa closes the door and her car starts driving away, Leon lets himself pretend.

**KH-KH-KH**

"I hardly need an escort for the ten feet," Ardyn playfully informs Steiner, turning to focus on getting his key into the doorknob's hole.

"After tonight, I refuse to take such things for granted," the sergeant replies over the clicking of the opened lock. He follows Ardyn as the chancellor enters his room, a spacious enough place with enough room for a queen-sized bed and a small desk. There are no windows, but a painting of a forest at dawn hangs on the far wall. "In fact, I still can't recommend you and the president sleep in separate rooms. Sticking together is…"

"This attack really did a number on you, didn't it Sergeant?" Ardyn asks, slowly lowering himself to sit on the soft bed's edge. Before Steiner can respond, he quirks up an eyebrow and adds, "Or is it something else?"

The soldier hesitates for a long moment, licking his lips nervously. "If I can speak freely, sir?" he asks with no small hesitation. When Ardyn nods, he lets out a deep breath, "In all honesty, I'm not sure I share the president's willingness to overlook the Restoration Committee's secrecy. I guess I understand wanting to start out without baggage, but…"

"I understand your concerns, Sergeant," Ardyn says calmly. "The question of Ansem or Xehanort aside, there is something to be said for the fact that they kept such research around so long after the fact. I haven't the slightest idea of what it actually _contains_ , but…"

"So, you think there might be something _else_ we don't know?" Steiner asks, absently taking an eager step forward. "They might have more to hide? Something dangerous?"

The chancellor lets out a light chuckle, completely throwing the sergeant off. He almost pitches straight forward and falls on his face.

"I am merely stating the facts as I see them," Ardyn says, playful laughter still hiding underneath his words. "Intrigue of this nature is far beyond me, my dear man. Surely we can trust these people? Proceeding from a position of suspicion can only muddy diplomacy further."

"Uh, well," Steiner splutters, totally unsure what this conversation is even about anymore. "I guess you, uh, have a point there, sir?"

"You seem tired, Sergeant," the chancellor says, looking at him with a concerned little frown. "It has been such a long day, and surely tomorrow will be as well. Hopefully for different reasons, of course. Get some sleep."

"Yeah, sure." After a slow salute, Steiner turns and walks out of the room, stopping at the threshold and looking back with an open mouth. A heartbeat later, he shakes his head and leaves fully, closing the door behind him.

Ardyn waits a moment, smiling thinly at the closed door. Once the sound of Steiner's footsteps have faded, he rises of the bed and goes to his bag. Reaching in, he discards a few of the clothing items inside until he's reached the bottom. Quickly locating the hidden zipper, he opens the secret compartment and draws out a rectangular device about the size of his palm. Reaching around, he pulls a multi-segmented antenna to its full length. Pressing a small button on its side, the only button, he sits back down to wait.

It isn't long, perhaps a minute, before Jihl Nabaat's face fills the screen. As usual, she wears a sneer on her red-painted lips. "You're calling later than I expected. Have an exciting night?"

"Fortune smiled on us tonight," he lies, offering her a slight grin. "I've hardly had to do anything at all, and Sergeant Steiner is jumping at shadows around every corner. The good people of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee seem positively giddy to dig their own graves."

"Most people are weak and stupid," the lieutenant declares lightly. "They just need a chance to show their vulnerabilities so the strong can take advantage."

"Indeed," Ardyn agrees lightly, though with the air of someone who's heard the same thing a hundred times before. "Everything is in place, though I am rather tempted now to wait and see what _else_ falls into my lap."

"That does mean, of course, another day of listening to Laguna's yapping," Nabaat points out, sneering again. "For your own sake, the sooner the better."

Ardyn hardly seems to hear, reaching into his bag once more and idly fingering open the secret compartment again. Two small vials rest inside, one filled with green liquid and the other blue. Next to them lies a thin needle affixed to a silver ring.

"Yes," he says absently. "You're absolutely correct." Dropping his voice lower, so only he can hear, the chancellor adds, "After all, I have been waiting _such_ a long time."

**KH-KH-KH**

A lonely moon shines down pale light onto the dark ocean's shore. Two figures, clad in silver and black armor, rest on the black sand. Neither of them move, still enough to seem as statues to any outside observer. Not that there is anyone to observe them.

Then suddenly, movement. The larger figure, his armor rusted and pitted, tilts his head just slightly. It's not much, but enough to spur his partner to her own action. She stands, looking down at him through the dark glass of her helmet's visor.

"What?" she asks, her feminine voice coming out roughly through the helm. "Did you sense it?"

"The Keybearer has left his companions," the man reports, inflection lilting higher with every word. "He is alone, or at least without the other wielders. It is time. You can make the trip?"

"It has been a long time," the female admits. "But I am strong once again. The injuries he inflicted, and the effects of that empty realm have passed. What I wonder is, how will you manage without me?"

"My wounds were worse than yours," he concedes. "But I have been recuperating just as long as you have. There is no need to worry, my friend. As long as the Keyblade is destroyed, I will be fine."

The female warrior nods, flecks of dark purple power beginning to surround her body. "Then rest easy. I won't fail you. The Keybearer dies this day, and his accursed blade along with him."

**KH-KH-KH**

Azlyn groans, her body shifting as she begins to awaken fully. The ground beneath her is soft, grass tickling her exposed forearms and neck. She doesn't open her eyes yet, though the orange light filtering through the lids tell inform her that it's morning. Still, she should have plenty of time to sleep. After all, what else are honeymoons for? Content, she rolls over and reaches for her husband.

Except that he isn't there.

The knight's eyes jolt open, the unobscured sunlight momentarily blinding her. When she regains vision, blobs of color overlay the scene before her. A jungle clearing, bright green foliage surrounding her. It's hot, and moreover incredibly humid, and in her black clothes it all feels especially oppressive. And of course, as she'd noted before, Telary is gone.

"Tel!" she calls out, only receiving replies from buzzing insects and chirping birds. "Telary, c'mon! You can't just expect me to wake up in some random ass jungle and just…"

Suddenly, the whys and hows of her being here return to the young woman. She leaps to her feet, nearly tripping over a group of orange and red Gummi blocks arranged in a neat pile. The rest of the ship must be nearby.

"What is it with freakin' jungles," she grumbles, wiping dirt and dew from her skirt, "and crash landings? We never have to make an emergency stop on an island resort."

She knows complaining does no good, especially with no one around to hear. And that's the most concerning part of it all, really. Telary should be here, by her side. They skipped the traditional vows, but surely that part should have been implied. And even if the wizard is just off gathering more Gummi blocks, he certainly should have heard and responded to her.

Which leaves just one more option, and the most concerning.

"We had good two weeks," Azlyn mutters, talking just to hear her own voice as she begins to search. "I guess that's enough time for the universe to call in its bullshit marker. Oi, and we could've been home today. But nope, instead I had to wake up in some crappy jungle just because a few Heartless decided to…"

She stops dead in her tracks, just a few feet before a strange pillar of brown stone. A sign of civilization, though give that most of it is missing and the rest is weathered beyond comprehension, whoever built this is long gone. Still, it is something of a clue.

"Yeah, this is just a mystery," the monologue continues, its speaker stepping around the weird architecture. "You love mysteries. I prefer a good murder, but…"

Behind her, a twig snaps. The knight immediately shifts into a ready stance, fists raised. Oh, why had she forgotten her shield? Even under the influence of honeymooning bliss, she'd kept that beloved metal disc underneath the bed at all times. Her first slip up, and of course she's paying for it.

"Whoever is out there," Azlyn declares in her most threatening voice, fists raised, "don't think just because I'm unarmed I'm an easy target. C'mon, show yourself if you think you're tough enough."

A moment later, underscored by the sound of leaves rustling and the slightest of low breathing noises, the figures surrounding the knight do just as she requested. Seeing them, Azlyn can't help but drop her fists, shocked into inaction.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me."


	5. On The Hunt

This morning in Radiant Garden is just as idyllic as the one before. Despite last night's excitement, people still know they have to get on with their lives. And so they go, bustling around the city's western marketplace. The castle looms closer here than the eastern hilltop shopping area, practically glowing a vibrant orange in the morning sunlight.

Kairi walks through the crowds, a wooden basket held beneath one arm. As she goes, she can't help but notice that many other patrons are noticing her. By the time she's locked on any one citizen, though, they're already pretending to be interested in something else.

Or maybe they're not really looking at her at all. Maybe they're just fascinated by how the silver-haired young man behind her can carry so many baskets. To his credit, however, not a single complaint has passed his lips.

"I can take more than one, any time you want," Kairi reminds him, stepping up to a small outdoor pastry shop and perusing its wares. The smell of fresh bread and cinnamon fills her up with warmth. "As much as I appreciate you being gentlemanly."

"It's not a problem," Riku assures her, carefully tilting left to keep the basket hooked around his right elbow from falling to his wrist. "I like a challenge."

The redhead doesn't reply immediately, instead addressing the woman at the shop's counter. She picks out half-a-dozen various items, all of them filled with some sort of fruit and topped with white icing. At her prompting, Riku offers two of his baskets to place the goods in.

Once everything is getting wrapped and prepared, she turns to him with an enigmatic look. "No, you don't. If you _did_ , you would have accepted Yuffie's offer to go running this morning."

He frowns at her, just barely containing a scoff. "Hey, I said no because I thought I might be needed on the computer stuff. The only reason I'm with you is because… Wait a minute, how'd you know? _I_ didn't tell you!"

"Yuffie did," Kairi replied, briefly glancing back over the counter. The baker is halfway through filling their order, one of the two baskets full to the brim. "Last night, she said she was going to. Apparently you two were having an interesting conversation when the Heartless showed up."

It takes a moment, but eventually Riku lets out the smallest of sighs. "Yeah, well… It's like you said, 'before the Heartless showed up'."

Kairi is about to pursue this line of thinking when the shopkeeper speaks up. "There you are, Miss. All set up!"

"Thank you very much," the Princess of Heart replies. She takes the two filled baskets, only to find Riku snatching them away before she can blink. She nearly turns to give him the business, before realizing that she'll need both hands to handle the munny exchange anyway. "Okay, how much?"

For some reason, this inspires a laugh from the shopkeeper. Frowning, Kairi really looks at the woman for the first time. She looks almost stereotypically like one would expect a woman who runs a bake shop too. Pleasantly plump, with a heart shaped face and a lot of black hair held back by a white handkerchief. For some reason, Kairi is sure she recognizes her.

"How could I ever charge _you_?" the woman laughs, shaking her head. "After what you did for us last night when the Heartless came, this is the least I can do."

It takes Kairi a moment to formulate what might be the correct response. "Oh, but no. That's not why I do things like that, for free stuff."

"You're thinking of the _blonde_ girl," Riku adds, smirking.

"Well, I think you deserve it," the baker continues, still smiling. "I won't accept payment for anything you buy here today, and I think you'll find the sentiment echoed at every shop you come across."

Now Kairi really doesn't know what to say. So she just sort of nods, getting out some kind of thanks that she hopes is appropriately warm before moving away from the store. As she goes, the baker gives her one last hardy wave.

"That," she whispers to Riku as they go in search of somewhere to find juice, "was kind of unexpected. Nice, though."

"It _is_ nice," Riku agrees, wearing a small grin.

"Y'know," Kairi continues, "I love Destiny Islands, I really do. It's my real home, no matter where I started out from. But the more time I spend here in Radiant Garden, the more right it feels. Like I can't help but love it too."

Riku nods. "Yeah, it's pretty great. Hard to believe that it's come so far from when I was first here. There was nothing but the castle, and it wasn't half as beautiful as it is now either. Leon and the rest really have succeeded in making it beautiful again."

"It deserves to be," Kairi says, quieter. Then, suddenly she perks up and starts looking at Riku again. "Hey, wait a minute! You never finished explaining…"

"Look!" the silver-haired young man exclaims, far too excited for… Well, for anything when the person speaking is Riku. He doesn't wait for Kairi to respond, instead power walking towards a shop that just might fulfill their juice needs.

She's about to follow when she notices something out of the corner of her eye. Whirling, she finds herself face to face with an older man. A really older man, his face seemingly more wrinkles than anything. He wears fine blue clothes, with a cape to top the ensemble off. His expression suggests that he isn't here to offer her any discounts at shops.

"Uh, hello," Kairi greets him anyway, trying to ignore the sudden creepy vibe she feels. "Do you, um, need something?"

He smiles, a sheepishness in it that simply doesn't fit the face attempting the expression. "Oh, I'm sorry if this seems strange, miss. I was just wondering how such a sweet girl like you could be in so deep with those reprobates that call themselves the Restoration Committee."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Kairi asks, one hand against her hip as she regards him coolly. Or at least she hopes she looks cool. "The Restoration Committee…"

"Cling to the memory of a man who they themselves told us was a genocidal monster!" the old man interrupts loudly, attracting the eyes of many. "Hoarding all his dirty secrets in that lab they'll allow no one access to. I heard that last night's attack concerned it. What are they keeping down there that has Heartless and villains so interested?"

It's quite obvious that this has become a public debate. People aren't even bothering to politely feign ignorance anymore, openly gathering around the pair. Kairi throws a look over her shoulder, trying to find Riku. Unfortunately, the silver-haired young man is nowhere to be found. This is her battle to fight, then.

"The Restoration Committee hasn't even gone into that lab," she says, making sure every word is coming out as strongly as possible. "They're not sure exactly what's in there, but they know it's not safe. If they won't investigate, why should they open it up to just let anyone in?"

""If they have no need of it, or fear the place, then why not simply destroy it and be done?" the old man replies, hands on his hips. "I wouldn't believe everything you've been told, Miss. If Ansem the Wise could fall to curiosity and corruption, then what makes you think this Restoration Committee can resist?"

"They're not like that!" The basket in her arms falls to the ground, but Kairi doesn't care about that as she steps closer to the old man. "And Ansem wasn't either."

Her opponent laughs, long and hearty and cruel. "Oh yes, this supposed Xehanort. A man who there seems to be no record or memory of ever existing. Interesting, that."

"What purpose does it serve for the Restoration Committee to make him up, though?" Kairi retorts, crossing her arm and standing tall as she can. "They must realize how it sounds, if they're the master plotters you think they are. Why tell you one lie, then reverse it completely? What do you think their endgame is here?" She leans forward, getting in the old man's face as his eyes widen. "Or are you just trying to stir up trouble because you don't like the way things are going around here? Well I'm going to tell you right now, you're in the minority. Radiant Garden is a great place to live, and it's only going to get better, no matter how much scaremongering you try."

Suddenly, everyone who was crowded around the confrontation starts clapping, the sudden noise startling Kairi out of the zone she'd slipped into. She turns to the crowd, smiling facing looking back at her. Brushing some hair behind her ear, she gives them a small smile and nervous little wave.

The old man scoffs, looking around at all the faces with a scowl. He apparently has no parting words, simply pushing his way through the crowd.

Everyone seems content to disperse at his disappearance, and Riku dodges around the leavers as he makes his way back over. With two full baskets of various fresh fruit juices, it must be added. He seems impressed. "Well, that's certainly one way to start the day off right. Yelling at old people."

"He started it," Kairi reminds him, rolling her eyes. "And we were just talking about how much we love this place. That's thanks to Leon's group. Besides, I guess Ansem was some kind of friend of my grandma's?"

The silver-haired young man holds his hands up, glass juice bottles clinking in the baskets he carries. "Hey, you did what you had to do. And it's kind of nice, hearing that _tone_ you have not being directed at me."

"Anyway," she says with a small sigh, "let's head back. That juice is going to go warm faster than we think. Plus, you still haven't told me anything about…"

"No time for chit chat!" Riku declares boldly, power-walking his way toward the castle with baskets swaying. Shaking her head, Kairi follows after him.

From a distance, the old man watches them go with anger in his heart. He's known as Borghen, possibly the most vocal and visible opponent of the Restoration Committee. And this little display of devotion hasn't exactly swayed him like it had the rest of the market's patrons.

"It's like they don't even remember what happened," he mutters to himself, already working himself up for the speech he'll give at his movements next meeting. "The death, the loss… All because of that man and his secrets!"

Not everyone has forgotten. Borghen's coalition is small, but the people he has found that share his concerns are a varied bunch, from may different walks of life. People in potentially useful positions. Perhaps there are even enough to affect some real change.

Especially now that they've found an ally.

**KH-KH-KH**

There's no comfort in Gummi space for Sora today. Instead of the mystery and wonder it usually holds, it only brings to mind what unknown dangers await in a harsh universe. And Azlyn and Telary are out in it without him.

The tracker is proving effective, at least. With his ship zipping along as fast as it can go without actually hitting warp speed, it's only been a few hours since the Keybearer set out. Already his friends' Gummi ship is mere minutes away.

Fast as he's been moving, though, Sora's still had plenty of time to think over the present circumstances. The main conclusion he's reached is that they suck. It's almost beating a dead horse in his mind at this point, but he can't escape that simple fact. Is Mickey right? Can a life wielding the Keyblade ever be truly peaceful? His destiny hasn't seemed like such a burden since he first learned of it.

Sora sighs, shaking his head to clear it of the bad thoughts. This isn't like him at all, moping around at the prospect of a challenge, a new adventure on the horizon. It can't be, not when he'll need his focus and drive to be high as they've ever been.

And why be worried anyway? He and his friends have foiled a grand scheme from Maleficent before. And back the Xehanort's Heartless had been involved behind the scenes. Both halves of the madman have been destroyed now, there's no possible way he could interfere. The dark shadows he cast are gone, and based on the plans the witch had unveiled during the Organization XIII adventure, Maleficent is hardly in that caliber anymore. As soon as Azlyn and Telary are by his side, Sora knows that this storm will pass just like all of the others. All he needs to do is hold on to that thought.

Without getting lost in it of course. The ship's computer emits a high-pitched beep, startling Sora from his involved thought process. He focuses, looking down at the numerous instruments laid across the control panel before him. It doesn't take long before he realizes that this particular alarm is signaling his arrival at a world. And according to another, smaller screen, it's this world that should hold Azlyn and Telary's ship. And his friends themselves, of course.

Pressing a button like he remembers Telary doing, Sora watches as a quick rundown of the world he's arrived at flashes across the screen. It's mostly jungle, lots of wildlife with a small human presence. Looking at the tracking beacon, however, Sora notes that the Gummi ship is firmly out in the jungle's far reaches. Somehow that doesn't surprise Sora.

Gripping the control yoke tightly, the Keybearer pushes forward and begins his descent.

**KH-KH-KH**

Leon knows that they've been at this for far too long when Cid, possibly one of the most creatively vulgar people he knows, starts to repeat swears. Or perhaps it's the fact that the Restoration Committee leader no longer cares to tell his older friend to watch his language. Either way, it's been an exceedingly unproductive few hours. Tron has run every search that could be thought of, every digital technique known to organic or digital minds. The information is just gone.

They're in the newly completed Information Operations Center, a larger, more accessible, and less historically sinister alternative to Ansem's room below. Also, at the current moment, less blown-up. It's a large room, several tiers going downward from the top, six workstations on each level. Then the bottom level holds the most advanced machine, as well as a large projector screen for showing whatever needs to be seen. A few technicians are doing their own work, but mostly they just keep to themselves.

"He must have stored a backup copy of everything," Leon says as another attempt fails. "And I think we'd have better luck just searching the study for a disc or something. Hell, we should have been doing that this whole time!"

"There ain't no need, Leon," Cid declares gruffly. "That whole place has already been upended from top to bottom. Found a couple more handwritten reports, but nothing groundbreaking. And definitely not a disc fulla backups."

Laguna, who until now has been content to sit quietly and just take everything in (while Sergeant Steiner watches like a hawk, of course), leans forward. "What about this secret lab where all the human experiments were done? Have you looked there?"

"We don't know where it is," Leon says after a moment's pause. "I told you that, didn't I? Anyway, wherever it was he was conducting all these experiments, we've never found it. Honestly, before now we never had a reason to."

"If you had needed to know, you could have just asked," Tron interjects, his voice filtered through the computer's speakers. "Based on power readings and metric volume calculations, the space beneath the Heartless Manufactory is the only logical place. Ansem maintained a small facility down there, but it could be easily expanded. The castle rests above a once-rich mineral deposit. For most of its existence, mining was the primary…"

"Hey, you can cool it with the history lesson," Cid interrupts, lightly banging his fist against the hardware. "So what, we should crack that baby open and check out what's inside?"

"You'd be willing to set off explosives underneath your own castle?" Laguna remarks, his eyes oddly alight. "Man, this place is a lot cooler than Bright Oasis!"

"We're not setting off any explosives," Leon says harshly. He turns back to Tron, grateful for the opportunity to roll his eyes without his esteemed guest seeing. "I assume there's some way to access it that _doesn't_ involve that, correct?"

"The entrance is password protected," Tron explains. "We'd have to find the program on the server, replicate it, and put it on another piece of hardware."

"Because the old controller got blown to bits," Cid says, nodding. "Damn, that cat knew how to mess us up."

"And what about the password?" Leon asks. "Do you know what it is?"

Even though the system administrator isn't currently visible, Leon can just imagine him shrugging casually. "It wouldn't take long to figure out, if I had some programs working on it. Xehanort was clever, but it couldn't be a terribly difficult hack."

"And that's the only option? I just want to be one-hundred percent sure."

"A backup drive hidden in the laboratory would be logical," Tron confirms. "That would be the best use of your resources."

"I get the feeling there's something else though," Laguna chimes in. Leon and Cid turn to look at him, but the president just shrugs. "I could hear it in his voice. Y'know, this talking computer thing is really fun? Steiner, when we get back to the Oasis, remind me to have the tech guys whip up a computer I can talk to!"

"Sir," the sergeant replies bluntly.

"The only remaining option isn't anything you could do in the User world," Tron says with trepidation. "It's a digital-only solution. You recall that Hollow Bastion OS is a copy of another operating system? ENCOM Incorporated? Well, to acquire the system, he had to create a link between his computer and ENCOM's. Theoretically, that link would still be there. Hidden deep in the code of course, but still there. If he felt the need to make a digital backup, it would have been simple to store it there in the old system."

"That sounds like some crazy, convoluted, runaround why take one-step-when-you-can-take-ten bullshit," Cid declares, shaking his head all the while. "And do ya know what? I can just believe that crazy son of a bitch would try it out."

"It does sound like a lot of work," Leon agrees. "Let's hold off on that for now. You're sure you could do it if there was a need?"

"I'd have to go myself," Tron says. "I wouldn't even trust a spinoff program with the task. And first I would have to find the I/O Tower that would make the connection. As you Users might say, it would take a lot of effort."

"So it'll just stay in our back pocket," Leon decides. "For now, I think it would be best to focus on the lab itself, finding a possible physical copy."

"I can get started on breaking the password right away," Tron says. "Should I contact Phineas and Ferb about the signal device?"

"Naw, I can do that one myself," Cid volunteers, cracking his knuckles loudly. "I know we're all dazzled by their intellects, but it just ain't right that an old mechanic like me hoists all the inventin' off an a couple of ten year olds!"

Leon nods at his older friend, then turns to focus on Laguna. "Well, this seems like a standstill time."

Bright Oasis's president nods. "You think we should take this opportunity to get down to the business I came here for in the first place?" He stands, stretching his arms and nearly hitting Steiner. The bodyguard stumbles back, frowning at his charge.

"Whatever else is going on, I think it would be to both our cities' benefit if we had a real discussion on cooperation," Leon says, standing up himself. "There's a nice spot to sit in the library, if you'd like. It has a great view."

Laguna smiles, flashing the Restoration Committee leader a thumbs up. "Sounds great. And hey, do ya think I could get something to drink? I always get thirsty when I have to do a lot of talking."

"No problem," Leon says as the pair ascend the room's levels to the door. "I'll have someone get you something from the kitchen. We've just had a rather large influx of staff, actually. Our citizens are very eager to be active in…"

The pair continue down the hall towards the elevator, and all the while Leon expounds on the various graces of his city like it's a used car he's looking to sell.

**KH-KH-KH**

There's just too much foliage in the way where Az and Telary's Gummi ship crashed, forcing Sora to land at least a mile away and make the trek on his own. Unfortunately, that leaves him relying mostly on sheer faith that he can find them at all. He's got enough to pick the right direction and start walking, and hopefully that will work.

It's an amazing thing, the universe and its worlds. This place, it's a jungle right? It shouldn't be that much different than the jungles Sora has visited before. But it _is_. it's hotter for one thing, with an accompanying mugginess that is almost intolerable. The magic in his fairy-made clothing keeps him from absolutely dying, but there's definitely a sheen of sweat on his skin. Even his hair, naturally spiked and upright, starts to lose some spunk as he goes on.

It's wet, too, the ground muddy like there's been a decent rain storm not that long ago. With the wetness comes bugs, swarming around Sora's head and forcing him to expend energy swatting them away. It's an active place, too, with the sound of not only more bugs, but definitely larger things moving through the foliage. Sora does his best to keep wary, his right hand open and ready to receive the Keyblade at any moment.

Even though the sun is shining down, after maybe ten minutes Sora starts to notice darkness up ahead. Not in the supernatural sense, but just a section of the jungle so thick with trees that it basically seems to be night within. Actually, maybe there's something supernatural in that itself. Sora certainly feels less confident going in.

Suddenly, every noise that had been just background before now deserves a moment to pause and consider. The small rays of light that manage to shine through the thick canopy offer no comfort, only seeming to highlight the shadows beyond and what might lurk in them. But Sora keeps his head high, summoning all his willpower and remembering the reason he came here. He presses on.

Despite the fact that it feels like something is breathing down his neck.

The insect noises have died down considerably, leaving a running background noise that somehow is worse than absolute silence. And more than that, there's the inescapable feeling that under that faint buzzing, something far worse is lurking.

Then, finally, Sora hears something. It's nothing but simply the cracking of a small branch overhead. Other than a slight twitch of his hand, the Keybearer barely reacts. He's been around the block before, and the vast majority of his foes simply pop out of thin air whenever they feel like it. Whatever is coming, he's ready for it.

He spins on his heel, light flashing in his hand to momentarily illuminate the dark forest. Kingdom Key is in Sora's hand now, giving him an instant boost of confidence and sense of control. The only problem is that there's nothing there to face. He frowns, looking up at the canopy above. He doesn't see anything. Just the dense leaves, tree branches, a few thick vines.

One very thick vine in particular. Very thick and undeniably _moving…_

He follows it, and immediately wishes he hadn't. It isn't a vine at all. Instead, staring back at him with cool black eyes that seem to reflect nonexistent light, is the second largest snake he's ever seen. And he's willing to bet this isn't some transformed sorcerer. It regards him coolly, forked tongue darting over pebbly lips.

What is it you're supposed to do in the event of an animal attack? Funnily enough, Sora is sure that Telary would know. Maybe if he just acts as threatening as he can, waving his weapon around, this creature will get the idea.

And then all conventional wisdom goes out the window when it opens its mouth and speaks in a low, unnerving soft feminine voice.

" _You do not belong here_ ," the snake declares, slithering over a low tree-branch without ever taking her eyes off of Sora. " _Have you gotten yourself lo_ _sss_ _st? I have s_ _s_ _een men from the village, even the famed man cub of the jungle, but none who look like you._ " She pauses, and suddenly Sora realizes that she hasn't blinked this entire time. " _You must be from beyond the jungle, then. Outside._ "

For a long moment, Sora finds himself unable to reply. Finally, shifting his fingers to feel the comfortable weight of the Keyblade in his grip, the Keybearer speaks. "I am," he says with as much confidence as he can muster. He's sure that the right thing to do is here is to not show weakness. "And I'm just passing through here. I…"

" _That i_ _s_ _s quite an interes_ _sss_ _ting ssstick you have there,_ " the snake interrupts, her head bobbing slightly from side to side. For some reason, Sora can't help but watch the motion. " _I have never ssseen it'ss like before. And I have ssssseen sso much…_ "

"I'll bet you have," Sora replies, not quite sure why he's doing so. All the while, he watches the way the snake's head bobs. "So, um, do like have a name?"

" _I am Kaa_ ," she replies, lips stretching back just slightly to form a smile. " _This jungle is mine._ _Who are you? Why have you come here?_ "

"I'm Sora," the Keybearer replies, the words coming out slowly. He's beginning to feel odd, the Keyblade heavy despite his magical nature. So heavy. "I came to find my friends. You haven't seen them, have you?"

" _I fear I have not_ ," Kaa replies, her whole body moving again. She's circling Sora, which he knows is definitely not good. And yet, what can he do but follow the motion of her eyes? They don't seem so black anymore, red and purple swirling inside. There's no looking away. " _It has been ssso long ssince anyone passssed through my domain. No one to ssssee. No one to ssssspeak to. Will you sspeak to me, man?_ "

The answer is no. Of course it's no, this is a talking snake for crying out loud! But still, Sora finds himself nodding. It's a reasonable request, isn't it? And if they're just going to talk, why would he have any need to hold his Keyblade at the ready? As odd as it all seems, certainly Sora can trust in her. He decides to lower it, only stopping when the tip hits the hard-packed mud of the ground. All the while, staring into those beautiful, shining, colorful eyes…

She's behind him now, and he can feel her breath on his exposed neck. Sora shudders, suddenly struck by how unpleasant this situation is. He tries to remember why he's just standing here and talking, when there's something he has to do. But all he can see is those eyes, so beautiful and mesmerizing. Azlyn and Telary should see this too…

Sora gasps, blinking hard as the feeling of calm and contentment leaves him in a rush Azlyn and Telary are out there in this jungle, and they need him. There's certainly no need to take up time talking to this snake. This slowly circling snake.

Luckily for Sora, the adrenaline takes over before he has time to consider what a hapless idiot he's been.

" _Why sssso quiet, man?_ " Kaa inquires, her massive head moving into his field of vision again. Sora turns away quickly, not about to get caught up in this predator's spell once again. " _Why won'_ _t_ _you look at me?_ _No harm will come to you. Trust in me."_ A pause, then with more energy than before, " _Man? Man!_ "

Sora spins again, raising the Keyblade as he goes. The shaft slams into Kaa's face, sending her hurtling backwards. The giant python actually screams, and even that noise of pain and confusion seems soft somehow. But Sora doesn't take much time to analyze, gripping the Keyblade's hilt in both hands and bringing it down again.

Kaa hisses at him, bearing her sharp fangs. Sora only swings again, the powerful blow sending her head snapping back. "Get out of here!" he demands. "I'm not food!"

Kaa straightens, and it's suddenly quite apparent to Sora just how much larger this creature is than him. How does an animal get so large? If the size difference and its advantages are as obvious to the python, she doesn't press it. With one last hiss of displeasure, she slithers quickly back into the canopy above. Sora watches her every move, not satisfied until he sees her tail disappear.

"Hypnotism," the Keybearer mutters, sparing the foliage above one last look before turning and resuming his walk. At a considerably faster speed, it must be said. "And what was with the talking? Is that just something animals do on this world?"

She certainly hadn't liked the Keyblade. Maybe he's reading too much into it, but something about the way Kaa had screamed from its touch…

"Whatever," Sora says, putting the encounter out of his mind. It's a good reminder, of course, that anything could have happened to Azlyn and Telary out here. All the more reason to find them quickly, so all his friends can be together and keep each other safe.

**KH-KH-KH**

The sun is setting on another lovely Radiant Garden day. In the city's hilltop marketplace, customers scurry about to make any last minute purchases they need. It's almost dinner time after all, and if it's one thing the people of Radiant Garden like it's fresh ingredients.

Riku makes his way through as well, though he's not looking for food. Instead, his eyes are peeled for someone. It's the most active he's felt all day, since it turns out he's actually fairly useless where technology is concerned. Instead, he'd simply had all day to sit around and think. And all that contemplation has led him to a single conclusion.

Finally, he spots Yuffie in the crowd. She's dressed normally, a black jacket with matching shorts. All trimmed with white of course. The ninja appears to be stretching, an odd activity to do in a place that's so crowded. Luckily she's found a spot out of the way enough to avoid being run over. Riku's a few yards away when she spots him.

"Hey!" she says, straightening up and arching her back. Riku feels just slightly bad for how much he notices. "Finally get bored of all the eggheads yammering about that computer crap?"

"It did get a little overwhelming," he admits, stopping in front of her. "And I really didn't have much to do." He bends over, grasping his right ankle in both hands. He tries to focus on the limb, but he can't help but notice Yuffie has decided watching him is more important than finishing her own stretches. One area in particular it seems. Hopefully the evening twilight can cover any blushing.

"So here I am, plan B?" the ninja asks with a smirk.

As he switches to the other leg, Riku winces. He set himself up for that one. "No, uh, that's not what I meant. Sorry." He straightens, bending his knee back and gripping the ankle one-handed.

Yuffie laughs, shaking her head. "Eh, whatever. I know what you meant." She waits a moment, until he has both feet on the ground, and then asks, "So, does this count as that first date?"

Firmly planted as he is, Riku _still_ almost loses his balance. He turns to look at her, noticing immediately that the ninja isn't looking quite as confident as usual.

"No," he says after a moment. Just before Yuffie's face can fall, he adds, "But only because I would want that to be more special than just a run."

She nods. "Well, okay. So, if we haven't found out why and how we have to save the universe by tomorrow night… How about then?"

Riku wants to say yes. He should, without hesitation. And yet, hesitation persists. "Look," he says after a moment, "I know this is going to sound flaky, or like I'm letting you down gently or something. But until this mess is sorted, I just don't think…"

Yuffie holds up a hand, nodding once as she cuts him off. "Y'know, I guess you've got a point. Hopefully it just makes you want to save the universe that much more."

"Definitely it will," he replies. Then, still feeling a bit guilty, he adds, "That doesn't mean we can't hang out on, like, non-dates or anything. If that's alright with you."

She smiles. "Sounds good to me."

Riku lets out a breath, all finished stretching and ready to run. "Man, I gotta say that I'm not looking forward to running down all those steps."

Yuffie giggles, shaking her head. "Steps? Oh Riku, we're not going down any steps!"

He frowns at her. "Huh? Then what are we supposed to…?"

Yuffie doesn't wait around for him to finish. Instead, she lets out a joyous noise and charges straight for the hill's edge. Though he's caught off guard, Riku follows after her. He manages to keep pace, his longer legs offering a bit of an advantage. He's still not entirely sure of what's going on though.

And then Yuffie nimbly hops up onto the wall, planting her feet for a brief moment before jumping right off.

Riku stumbles to a stop, calling out in concern as he leans over the edge. He can see Yuffie falling below, arms spread wide. Just as he's about to scream her name, the ninja tucks into a roll, turns over three times, and neatly lands on the edge of a tall building's chimney, maybe twelve feet below. She jumps onto the rooftop proper, turns to look up at Riku, and winks. Still grinning, she turns and starts running towards the next roof.

Even though he's pretty sure he has no idea what he's really getting into, Riku starts backing up. Once he's sure his run will give him enough momentum, the Keyblade wielder repeats Yuffie's feat. As he falls, he can't help but notice that she's waiting for him with a big grin on her face.


	6. Tired Of Monkeyin' Around

Thankfully, Sora soon manages to reach a section of the jungle where there's plenty of light. The fact that he's been running at a dead sprint since he heard another snapping branch has something to do with that.

He starts to hear birdsong again, his heart feeling lighter immediately. If he closes his eyes, the Keybearer can almost imagine that he's back on the Destiny Islands. Hopefully it won't be long until he's not just imagining it. He only allows himself the illusion for a brief moment though, well aware of just how serious his task here is. He only has the hope in his heart to assure himself Azlyn and Telary are alright. It's an informed hope of course, the pair are strong and survivors if they're nothing else. But, the sooner he finds them, the better.

He finds the first Gummi blocks a few minutes later. About a dozen lay scattered around a clearing, several orange, yellow, and red blocks that seem to be leading north. Sora picks up the first one he finds, testing it with his hands. It has just the slightest amount of give, like a particularly durable stress ball. Once he's sure this is indeed a block, the Keybearer moves on.

More blocks lay scattered across the jungle, though he sees fewer by the time he reaches the fallen trees. There are five up them, all toppled over to reveal a very small clearing just beyond. Azlyn and Telary's Gummi ship rests within. There's a huge gash in its side, bisecting most of the words JUST MARRIED painted there. The message had seemed cute when Sora first saw it, very sweet. The sight of it now just makes his stomach churn.

"Azlyn!" he calls, leaping over a fallen trunk and sprinting towards the wreck. "Telary! Azlyn! Guys!" Yelling in a jungle that's surely full of more predators than just an oddly persuasive python probably isn't the best idea, but Sora feels desperate.

There's no reply, but honestly he hadn't expected one. It's been several hours since Chip attempted to contact the pair, and if they hadn't answered then it must have been because they already crashed. And they could have crashed any time before that, anywhere in a two week span.

Much as he doesn't like it, Sora knows he has to take a closer look. He walks toward the crashed ship with resolute steps, his right hand opening and closing as it always seems to when he's alone and nervous. Right now, he's wishing that he hadn't opted to go about this mission solo.

It's not difficult to climb up to the ship's cockpit, the sun's bright light reflecting harshly off the Gummiglass. There's a fairly large crack in it, easy enough to maneuver through and into the cockpit. The floor's tilted just slightly, only a minor annoyance to stand on.

Sora looks over the little space quickly, unbidden memories flashing to mind as he does. There's so much history in just this little cockpit alone, all of it special and important. Even the quiet moments sitting idly while Telary flew. Azlyn slowly spinning in her chair, occasionally doing her nails. The couch where Riku would always lay, staring up at the stars. Kairi pressing herself against the window, in utter awe at the universe's beauty and scope.

He has to ignore it. Nostalgia isn't going to help the situation at hand, and he knows that. Since there's no one here, the only thing left to do is move on. "Azlyn, Tel!" Sora calls down the ladder, receiving no reply once again. Sighing in frustration, the Keybearer climbs down to check anyway.

He searches for maybe five minutes, it's not like there's a whole lot of areas to this ship. But it somehow feels much longer, dread seeming to weigh down every second. In the end, he can't find anything to indicate that Azlyn and Telary are still here. In whatever state they might be in.

He does find Azlyn's shield though, lying against the wall of the room she and Telary must have shared. It's even more disarrayed than the rest of the ship's interior, though Sora suspects the crash had nothing to do with that.

Probably it's not a good sign. Azlyn would never have left the ship without her trusty weapon, not if she could help it. _Could_ she help it? As much as Sora wants to banish the dark thought, he finds it stuck in his mind. In the end, he decides it would be best to keep the metal disc. _When_ he finds Azlyn, she'll certainly be grateful that he has it for her.

There's not enough power to open the cargo doors, so Sora is forced to climb all the way back up to the cockpit. From there he slides down the hull, plopping neatly on the ground. Letting out a resigned sigh, he leans back against the Gummi ship.

Well, what now? This was pretty much his only solid lead. For just now, he's deciding not to consider Azlyn's unattended shield as a definite sign of anything. He just can't afford to.

He could start wandering through the jungle some more, but that seems like a fool's errand. Maybe he should go back to his own Gummi ship, head for the village of people on the other side of the jungle? The only thing he knows for certain is that he's not about to give up. Azlyn and Telary are somewhere on this world, and he's going to find them no matter what it takes.

Just as he's starting to really entertain checking out the world's human inhabitants, he hears something stirring in a nearby tree. Wary from his experience from Kaa, Sora summons the Keyblade without thinking about it. Another noise follows almost immediately, more branches and leaves being pushed aside at a rapid pace. The Keybearer relaxes, satisfied that he's driven off another predator.

But there's something else, too. An odd feeling, like he shouldn't just be standing around congratulating himself. Whatever it was that was just spying on him, he should follow it. It's nothing but an odd, random impulse, but somehow Sora doesn't even care. Following his gut or heart or whatever has steered him right before, of course, no reason it shouldn't do the same now.

He takes off after his observer, running full tilt and making no attempts to act stealthily. Luckily, the foliage is lighter, almost deliberately so. The sun shines down with full, unfettered access to its light. Good thing to, as Sora is sure he couldn't take anymore dark places today.

After a minute, he runs into something even stranger. A pillar of brown stone, two-thirds of it completely missing. Sora examines it for a long moment, thinking back to Deep Jungle's lost city of Opar. What are the odds, two completely different jungles each hiding its own civilization? Besides just being broken, the pillar looks very old, covered in thick vines almost entirely.

He only allows himself a few seconds of examination, though. This is the first sign of civilization he's come across. It gives him a sudden thrill of hope, though he couldn't explain why. For now, it's just enough to keep him pressing on.

He encounters more broken architecture soon enough, but by then he's much more interested in the gruff, animated voices he can hear in the not-far distance. Brushing through a thicket of green bushes, he finds himself staring at a tall stone wall just a few feet away. What seem to be observation towers lie at each end, broken but still standing.

The voices he's been hearing are definitely on the wall's other side, so the Keybearer begins working out how exactly to climb up it. Just as he's beginning to see some possible handholds, he hears yet another voice. This one he instantly recognizes.

"And I'm telling _you_ for the last time, banana breath," Azlyn declares with her usual bluntness, "that your brains don't seem to me like they grew with the rest of your freakish bodies!"

Sora starts climbing, eager to get a good look at what might be happening. "I would watch your manner, Whoa-Man!" whoever the knight is talking to replies. The words come out slowly but deliberately, like someone who has just learned a new language and is compensating for their limited knowledge with noise.

Finally, Sora manages to haul himself over the top. He's looking down at a stone courtyard, the lower of two levels. Its ground is chipped and pitted in many places, and debris lays strewn about. An entire pillar like the one in the jungle lays on its side, snapped completely in two. The wall Sora's clinging to stretches three-fourths of the way around the courtyard. A wide staircase leads up to a tall, domed building. Though still showing its age in numerous ways, it appears to be the strongest structure around. Probably whoever Azlyn is speaking to lives in there.

Azlyn stands with her arms crossed, both feet firmly planted on the stone ground. If she's intimidated by this group, it's not showing in the least. Sora feels his heart soar at the very sight of her, even from the back.

But it's kind of hard to think about that, considering the shock of just who the knight is talking to. Or rather, _what_.

On the surface, the beings surrounding Azlyn are easily identifiable as monkeys. Hairy bodies, prehensile tails, hunched-over posture and knuckle-walking, all common traits despite stretching across at least five different species. But at the same time, that's not quite accurate. They all seem bigger than they should be, for one thing. Just like Kaa, oddly enough. And even more, their growth doesn't seem to have been an easy process. Fur-covered bumps and lumps seem to bulge at random on each primate's body, like they were modeled by a potter with imprecise hands.

Azlyn doesn't seem intimidated, stepping closer to the monkey threatening her and transferring her hands to her hips. Now she means business. "Right back at ya! Look, me and my husband are doing you a _favor_ here, so maybe don't act like you could do shit to me if I really wanted outta here. And stay on your side, I don't need any more bugs crawling on me."

Several monkeys start rumbling out low growls at that, not least of all the one Azlyn's in the face of. Almost nobody else would notice, but Sora can see the way the knight rubs her thumb and forefinger together. Means she's nervous.

"You think you have the bigger stick in this," the monkey declares, straightening his posture and gaining even more height. "But it is the Firemaker that King Louie and the Bandar-Log needs. With you, not so."

Azlyn backs up just a bit, straightening to giver herself some height as well. It doesn't work quite as well. "Y-yeah?" she counters, still trying to be as gruff as possible. "Well good luck getting Tel to do anything if you kill me! He'll do what I wanted him to do in the first place, show you all just how dangerous fire can be!"

The threat doesn't seem terribly effective. The rest of the monkeys, or the Bandar-Log, start to rally around their dark-furred compatriot. Azlyn takes her hands off her hips, raising two fists and giving her potential opponents a daring look. Sora immediately notices the golden wedding band on the third finger of her left hand, and feels a wave of worry for the man that wears its twin.

"Maybe you're right, Whoa-Man," the monkey admits, fully surrounded and supported now. "But your mate doesn't need to know until after he finishes giving King Louie the secret!"

Sora has seen enough of this. He quickly lifts himself up so he's straddling the wall. Reaching behind his back, he grabs the edge of Azlyn's shield with one hand. Supporting himself with the other, the Keybearer tries to remember all the times he's seen Azlyn throw this thing. With a slight grunt, he hurls it down toward the assembled primates.

As targets go, the group is just too large to miss. Even without much experience or precision, Sora manages to direct the Disney Castle shield into the back of one light-brown furred monkey's head. A loud _clang_ almost drowns out his scream of pain, and suddenly all eyes are on him. Only momentarily though, until everyone turns to see where the shield came from.

Azlyn finds him first, grinning fiercely up at the Keybearer.

Sora completes his vault, managing to slide down the wall enough that he doesn't break anything upon landing. His Keyblade flashes into existence halfway down, and he stands ready to face down the monkeys.

He immediately knows that Azlyn wants to start exchanging quips, but there really isn't time. A good half of the enlarged primates head for Sora, charging quickly across the courtyard on legs and knuckles. The others, including the ringleader, refocus their attention on Azlyn. By then, however, the knight has back flipped out of the range of even their elongated arms.

Sora doesn't have time to watch what happens to her next, as he suddenly finds himself more than occupied enough. He has just enough time to count to four, as in four deformed monster monkeys that are charging him at full speed. The one he'd hit in the head is leading the charge, and for the first time Sora notices its almost tusk-like canines.

He can't exactly flip around like Azlyn does, and his back is against the wall. Perhaps he should have given this a little more thought before starting a fight. Oh well, no time to worry about that now.

Sora turns and runs, though he has no illusions about avoiding these angry apes by means of pure speed. Still, he's got enough distance to reach one of the fallen pillars not far away, leaping up onto it and gaining some high ground, at least.

The first of the Bandar-Log, the angry one, skids to a stop and rears back his arm to strike. Sora is quicker though, bringing Kingdom Key down on his skull. The primate roars, his whole body shaking. Most of the rest of the monkeys run straight into him, falling into an unruly pile of fur and long limbs.

But one, his fur a kind of dull orange, is faster, or more clever, or probably just both. He manages to vault over all of his fellows, landing on Sora's pillar several feet behind the Keybearer. Hoping the rest of the attackers will remain too jumbled to press their advantage, Sora turns to face his opponent.

The primate doesn't charge blindly, just hurls himself forward on his knuckles for a powerful kick. Sora doesn't stick around to take the hit though, instead opting to simply leap off the pillar's side. The non-evil-monkey infested side.

Speaking of, the Bandar-Log have gotten their shit together. They resume their charge, vaulting over the fallen pillar toward Sora. Once again, the Keybearer is forced into a retreat. There's more fallen masonry nearby, more like a pile of stone, and he quickly scrambles up it. He almost slips on one loose rock, but manages to keep his balance by grabbing a cube of stone almost as tall as he is with his free hand.

The monkeys are on his trail, and he desperately needs some quick thinking. He spies the chunk of rock, quickly thrusting his Keyblade underneath it. With the proper leverage secured, he pulls the blade's hilt down with all his might. It doesn't take much for the rock to start sliding down the masonry pile.

The Bandar-Log stop dead in their tracks from shock, except once again the orange-furred one. He's some kind of orangutan Sora thinks, though of course he's no biologist, and once again all these primates are larger and more bestial than is probably natural.

Anyway, the orangutan swerves to avoid the stone, leaping up onto the rock pile and making his way up. Sora waits until he's in Keyblade range, then connects his weapon to the monkey's skull like he had the other. With a spine-chilling shriek, the orangutan falls sideways off the pile. Sora watches the way he's clutching his skull, something off about it in his mind. He's not sure why, though.

Still, not a lot of time for behavioral analysis. The Bandar-Log are recovering, and if they all can get organized to charge, the Keybearer knows he's done for. There's got to be an angle though, some way to…

A sudden sound rings out in the courtyard, echoing loudly against the stone walls. It's enough to get everyone's attention, human and primate alike. Everyone in the courtyard turns toward the sound's source, the open doors of the temple.

Yet another monkey strides out, barely fitting through the opening. It must stand at at least twelve feet, with the girth to match. Orange fur covers its back and shoulders. The color is shinier than the rest, as if there's a team somewhere doing maintenance on it. The huge primate regards the courtyard with steely blue eyes, the pronounced jowls on its face swaying back and forth.

"What, is going on?" the huge ape demands, scowling. His voice, definitely masculine, is surprisingly soft for all of his size. And yet, somehow there's an immediate sense of command in it. All the Bandar-Log respond to it immediately, all howling out explanations at once. The bright-furred monkey listens for a few moments, then lets out a terrifying roar that literally rattles Sora's bones. When he speaks words though, it's right back to softness. "I am trying, to learn the secret of man's red flower in here. But how can I be expected to do that with all this racket happening?"

"Azlyn!" Telary calls, from somewhere behind the intimidating ape's bulk. "I told you not to start anything. These guys are…"

"I didn't!" the knight declares, holding one hand to her chest and scoffing indignantly. She points across the courtyard. "Sora's the one who started all of this!"

"Sora?" Telary steps out of the ape's shadow, frowning as he follows his wife's gesture. When he spots the Keybearer, a smile instantly lights up his face. "Sora! How did you…?"

"I came looking for you!" Sora replies. "There's kind of a situation happening!"

"Oh, of course there is!" Azlyn yells, throwing her hands up.

"I know you seem kind of busy," the Keybearer continues, "but we really need to get moving back to Radiant Garden."

"No one is going _anywhere_!" the huge monkey speaks up firmly, frowning at the humans. "Not until I get what you promised, Firemaker."

"Man's red flower, we know!" Azlyn says, rolling her eyes. "Look Tel, it can't be all that hard to teach a fire spell. I mean, you managed it with Sora!"

"I explained it all the best I could," the wizard says, shaking his head. "I told King Louie everything that should be necessary to cast the spell. But it just isn't working."

"You told me you could do this!" Apparently King Louie says, obviously frustrated. "I've seen you do it many times now, and if a man like you can do it, then so can Louie!"

The other Bandar-Log echo the sentiment, grunting and nodding at their leader's proclamation. Tension starts to permeate the air again, not helped by the clouds that have started to appear in the sky and obscure the sun.

"I wish it were all that simple," Telary says, sounding genuinely saddened by the facts at hand. "But I've tried my best, and you just don't seem to be wired for it. There's nothing…"

"Not _wired_ for it?" Louie declares, his full height and girth looming over the wizard. "What is this, this _wired_? This is why I can't make it work, it's like we're talking completely different talk here!" His eyes narrow. "And if you can't help me, then I certainly have no use for you."

Azlyn's hands are balled into fists again, and Sora can see the telltale clenching of her neck muscles as well. All the Bandar-Log are starting to close in, low rumbles emanating from their chests. The situation is about to get out of hand again, and with the addition of King Louie, the odds of a positive outcome for the humans present is decidedly slim.

So, the Keybearer does what he usually does. Steps up. "He can't show you how to make fire, King Louie. But I know I can."

Louie's head darts around, his almost unnaturally blue eyes seeming to pin Sora where he stands. " _You_ know the secret of the red flower? And you can teach me?"

Sora nods. "Yeah, I know my way around a fire. I mean, it sure sucks that you can't do it magically, but I can show you the next best thing. As long as you let me and my friends all go after, of course!"

The king doesn't take even a second to think about it. His intimidating posture deflates into a contented slouch against the nearest fallen pillar. He even drapes one long arm across the stone. "Very well then, show me how to make man's fire."

"Okay!" the Keybearer says, casually hopping off the pile of stones and striding across the courtyard. "First thing first, I'm going to need some wood. A _lot_ of wood! Enough for a really big pile."

"Alright," Louie says, nodding agreeably. "You heard the man, Bandar-Log. Get him some wood. _Lots_ of wood!" With a commanding flick of his finger, the monkeys' king sends them off on their task.

Sora, Azlyn, and Telary meet up in the courtyard's center, giving each other wide smiles. Circumstances aside, it just feels right for this trio to be together again. In the background, the sounds of the Bandar-Log gathering wood from the jungle filter through the temple.

"So, what exactly is this situation?" Azlyn asks, her smile quickly dropping into a frown. "Lemme guess, it has something to do with how messed up Gummi space is."

Off Sora's raised eyebrow, Telary starts explaining with a grimace. "Things aren't where they're supposed to be. We drifted way off the projected course, and we weren't about to try and jump without reliable coordinates. Then the Heartless attacked. We made it to the closest world, that being here, but there was too much damage." Behind him, a deformed monkey throws a huge log down on the stone floor.

"I saw the damage," Sora confirms, grimacing. He lets out a breath, and then says, "I was trying to think the best, but when I saw that ship…"

"Don't go crying about it," Azlyn admonishes the young man, playfully pushing at his shoulder. "We weren't damaged too bad. Thanks to my quick thinking with the Bandar-Log here."

"Yeah," Sora says, looking back to where yet more monkeys are throwing loose wood in a pile. None of it is terribly dry, which could bode ill for his efforts. "What _is_ the deal with this anyway?"

"It's the kind of thing that could only happen to us, certainly," Telary replies, shaking his head slightly. "It wasn't long after we crashed that the Bandar-Log found us. They brought us to King Louie, and he just started asking us about fire. He's got a real hankering for the stuff. So I showed him a spell."

"He went ape!" Azlyn chimes in, grinning as the boys take in the sheer terribleness of the pun. "Started demanding Tel show him how to do it. Like anybody who doesn't want to die by being monkey-squashed, he agreed."

"It wasn't just that," the wizard corrects his wife. "I mean, we take it for granted, but in human terms fire is essential for survival. I didn't see any reason to deny other sentient beings that same advancement, species differences aside. Also, I was thinking about how the gorillas helped us out with the Gummi ship in Tarzan's jungle. I thought we might broker a similar arrangement here."

"But," Sora says with a raised eyebrow, "also you didn't want to get squished by the freakishly huge talking monkeys."

"Yeah, that too. Not a great ending to the honeymoon."

"Speaking of," Sora continues, "any idea about the whole, giant, deformed, and talking thing? It might just be something about this world. I had a run-in with a snake that seemed to have the same thing going on."

"Blech!" Azlyn declares, shaking her head and wagging her tongue. "Glad I wasn't there with ya."

"Yeah," her husband concurs. "Honestly, to answer your question, I think it has something to do with…"

"Alright, that's enough!" King Louie booms, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard. Sora, Azlyn, and Telary turn to face him, finding that there is indeed quite the buildup of wood. Those Bandar-Log work fast. Their ruler rises, the stone pillar groaning as he pushes off of it. "Okay, show me the secret of man's red flower."

"Sure thing!" Sora replies, stepping up to the huge pile. He selects several smaller sticks, plus a few lighter materials he can use as tender. With every eye riveted on him, Sora starts make a small platform from the wood. Once he's got it set up, he lays the kindling atop it. All the while, the Bandar-Log chatter amongst themselves.

"Where is the fire?" Louie asks, a pronounced frown on his jowly face. "All I see are sticks. Sticks I got, man. Man's red flower is what I desire."

Sora holds up a hand. "Hey, a little patience here. Things like this take time, and care. But it's all worth it in the end, okay?"

There's a tense moment where no one knows how King Louie will react. Azlyn and Telary, already holding hands, subtly increase the pressure of the grips. But it passes soon enough, the primate king nodding amiably.

Honestly, all the necessary steps are escaping Sora at the moment. Something about rubbing sticks, right? So when he turns back to the wood pile, it's stalling time all the way. "So, uh, Louie. What exactly is it that makes you want fire so bad, huh? I mean, you must live pretty well in this temple."

"There's only one thing that separates the Bandar-Log from men," Louie replies, staring off into the middle distance. "And that's the power of fire, ya understand? They've only got one advantage on me, and I can't stand for that. I'm the king of this jungle, for crying out loud!"

Sora has a stick he thinks might work now, so turns back to his rough beginning. He crouches down, trying to remember if there's a specific end of the stick he's supposed to use. "So, you're jealous, huh? Take it from me, Louie, that's not always the best reason to…"

"You question the king?" one of the Bandar-Log, the smart one, growls. "Louie's reasons are his own, and the Bandar-Log's too."

"This is the kind of thing I'm talking about," Louie continues. "You Men think you know so much better than the rest of the jungle. But once I get this fire, heh, that'll change."

Sora winces, immediately recognizing the orange-furred monarch's tone. He's heard it plenty of times before, hardly ever from anyone with positive intentions.

"Change how?" Azlyn asks, letting go of her husband's hand. Just in case.

"All my life, I looked at the Man Village and those Men that lived in it," Louie elaborates, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I wanted to be just like them, always have. I saw their dwellings, and so I made this place mine. I saw how they lived together, so I brought the Bandar-Log together. And soon enough, things started to change for us."

"At the risk of repeating," Sora says, his attempts at firestarting momentarily stalled, "change how?"

"The Bandar-Log grew," the king replies, a small grin appearing on his face. "And not just in the size and strength of our bodies, but our minds too! I starting thinking as I never had before. What is so different about Man, that I and my Bandar-Log could not be like them? If anything, we're much better! Why should Man be allowed to sit atop the food chain, when it should be us? Should be _me_!"

"So," Telary says, fighting hard to keep his voice from shaking, "what you're saying here, King Louie, is that you want the secret of fire so you can…?"

"Finally do what Man has never done," Louie declares, holding a fist in the air and shaking it. "To rule all the jungle, even their Man Village! Once I know their secret weapon, once I have the power to use it for my own, nothing will stop the Bandar-Log from gaining their rightful place in the jungle!"

All of his primate constituents howl their agreement, but the humans remain dead silent, exchanging frightened looks. It seems their situation is not quite what they'd imagined it to be.

"So move quickly, Man," the king says, his voice hard as the temple's stone. "You do this for me, I promise you a spot with the Bandar-Log, and my protection."

Sora stands, throwing his stick to the ground. It lands with a loud clatter, startling the surrounding primates. "Uh, no way!"

Louie rises to his full height again, steely eyes narrowing at the Keybearer. "What did you just say?"

"I said _no way_!" the Keybearer repeats standing tall and firm despite the surrounding danger. "I've never helped anyone conquer anything before, and I don't intend to start with a bunch of overgrown monkeys!"

"That's right!" Azlyn agrees, drawing her shield out and holding it high. "I am so _sick_ of being bossed around by you smelly, overgrown flea bags!"

"No bullies!" Telary adds, straightening his posture and clenching his fists.

"This is a mistake, you know," Louie says, slowly moving down the temple steps. Every footfall sends reverberation through the whole courtyard. The Bandar-Log begin closing in too, the sound of their collective growling filling the air. "It doesn't have to be this way. Just give me the red flower, and…"

"I got your red flower right here!" Sora declares. Kingdom Key appears in a flash, and not a heartbeat later a ball of red and orange flame erupts from its tip. The fireball hits the giant woodpile, immediately setting it all alight. Heat and crackling light flood the courtyard, quickly disorienting everyone in it who wasn't prepared.

"You lousy Men!" Louie screams, raising his arm to cover his face. "I shoulda known you would turn on me like this!"

"Oh yeah, sure," Azlyn mutters. " _We're_ the assholes here."

The Bandar-Log charge as one, an impossibly dangerous mob all united in one purpose. A good thing then that the humans have plenty of advantages. Telary immediately calls two fireballs to hand. Literally, he surrounds both hands in crackling flame. Holding up his arms, he manages to activate the primate's instinctive fear.

The trio all know there's no possibility of climbing over the courtyard wall before the monkeys can grab them, which means the only way out is through. It won't be easy, maybe even impossible, but they have to at least try.

And then, of course, Heartless decide to join the party.

The denizens of darkness appear in portals all over the courtyard, shifty blue Powerwilds and their larger Apewild cousins. A dozen Hook Bats swoop down through the air, the firelight reflecting off their smooth skin.

"What is this all about?" Sora yells, the words nearly drowned out in all the chaos going on. Not a moment later, lightning illuminates the darkened sky above. Thunder booms afterwards, only adding more noise and confusion. Rain begins to fall, thick and heavy drops splashing down.

"I say we take advantage of it!" Azlyn suggests, pointing ahead. The Bandar-Log and Heartless are engaging each other, King Louie leading the charge. He smashes through seven Powerwilds with ease, unleashing a primal roar of challenge. It is indeed a good distraction, and the trio immediately make a run for it.

It takes all their skills and quick reflexes, darting through the conflict without succumbing to it. A Hook Bat manages to get at Sora's shoulder, but the fairy-made fabric of his outfit is practically invulnerable and allows no damage. Eventually they manage to make it inside the ancient temple. Enough light spills in from the fire outside to give the trio a vague impression of the room, a huge atrium with another level above. But all they can focus on is the large, open doorway across the hall. Summoning fire again to light the way, Telary leads the group forward.

They head deeper into the structure, and all the while the sounds of fierce battle echo through the enclosed halls. There's something wrong with this place, Sora sensed that much after stepping foot inside. Everything looks fine and dandy, if a little weathered and in need of a polish, but the atmosphere is giving off vibes.

It's a fairly large place, full of surprisingly tightly cramped hallways that branch in many directions. There's no real good indicators of where exactly to go, forcing the trio to rely on instinct. Hopefully it won't be long before they can see the light at tunnel's end.

Unfortunately, there are several lights in this tunnel. With the structure's pitted and dilapidated state, light filters in from any number of cracks. There are a lot of possible leads to follow, and it isn't long until the trio reach a dead end.

Telary's the first into the room, Azlyn and Sora are right behind him. They stand in a large room, set up like some kind of chapel. Light, diluted by the clouds in the sky above, shines in through a semicircular hole up near the ceiling. Rain comes in as well. Torches are scattered around on the walls, burned black by fires that must have gone out years ago. Eight columns hold up the ceiling. Seven of them are evenly spaced in rows throughout the chamber, and the eighth stands alone.

There's a raised altar at the head of the room, the final massive pillar constructed in its middle stretching upward to fully secure room's ceiling. It's been carved expertly, one massive frieze that Sora can't quite tell the shape of from this distance. He steps closer, an uneasiness building up in his stomach suddenly. Despite that, he keeps going until he's reached the altar's edge. The Keybearer narrows his eyes, examining the pillar's carved images with a discerning eye. To his great surprise, most of them look familiar.

Shadows, Neoshadows, and more Heartless of various shapes and sizes decorate the pillar. They follow its curve, as if moving upwards along a path. Sora follows the "path" upward, until he reaches a figure that makes him step back in shock and surprise. It hovers over the Heartless, a demonic face grinning sadistically at the dark creatures. Its arms are crossed, and batlike wings unfurl in the air behind it.

"Freaky," Azlyn comments, jolting Sora from his focused state. He turns his head to see that both his companions are beside him, examining the pillar's carvings with frowns on their faces.

"Is this some kind of Heartless _temple_?" Telary inquires, shuddering at the very thought. He looks quizzically at Sora. "Is there some kind of danger?"

The Keybearer shoots his older friend a questioning look, to which the wizard simply gestures downward. Following the movement, Sora sees that Kingdom Key is in his hand, gripped tightly at that. Quite odd, considering he hadn't consciously summoned it.

"No," he replies, dismissing the blade. For some reason, he immediately feels the need to draw it out again, but he resists.

"As weird and spooky as this all is," Azlyn interjects, none too patiently, "the important thing here is that we have a way out. Maybe if we climb the pillar, we can get to that window?"

"A very good idea!" Telary congratulates his wife, giving her a smile before turning to regard the stone column. "The good thing about these freaky carvings is that they should work as adequate footholds. Let's get out of here, guys."

Azlyn is just about to leap onto the pillar when a series of sounds start echoing through the temple's halls. Big and deep, they're accompanied by an increasing sensation of the entire structure shaking. Small chips and pieces of stone fall down from the ceiling. The sounds keep getting closer.

"Go, go, go!" Telary encourages his wife, practically shoving her into the pillar. She forgoes the usual smart remark, silently doing as he says. "Sora, you're…"

"Going last," the Keybearer says, raising his volume to be heard over the ever-louder sounds. "I have the Keyblade, and I think that…"

"I''m the one who got us into this mess," Telary argues, frowning. "And I have my magic, so… Look, I'm sure we'll all be up and out before whatever's coming makes its way here. This is a big place, and we only got to this room by getting lost, so…"

"Climb!" Sora yells, pointing at the pillar with all the authority he has. And volume, since whatever is making those horribly foreboding noises is _close_.

But forceful as the command is, there's no time for Telary to execute it. A sonic boom loud enough to elicit screams echoes through the large chamber quickly accompanied by the sound of stone crashing to the floor. Looking up, the boys see that King Louie has arrived. The massive primate looks even more feral than before, and his eyes nearly glow a terrifying shade of blue. Unleashing a roar, he charges forward.

There's no time to climb out now, so Sora grabs Telary by the collar of his jacket and dives to the side with the wizard in tow. It's close, but they manage to get out of the way before Louie can crush them. He hits the carved pillar instead. The whole room shakes, and a few chips of stone go flying, but the large column stays upright.

An idea sparks in Sora's mind, and one quickly exchanged look from Telary confirms its mutuality. Kingdom Key appears in a flash of light, drawing King Louie's attention and seeming to enrage him more. He turns to face the human, lip curling in a sneer.

Azlyn, for her part, has a different idea. She springs down from above, driving her shield into Louie's upper back. The primate howls in rage, reaching behind his head and groping for the knight. She flips off of him, landing several feet away.

The Bandar-Log's king is forced into a bit of a conundrum know, considering which human to go after. After a moment of deliberation, he decides somewhere in his hazy, enraged brain that it would be worse to leave himself open to the Man who can make fire. Roaring again, he charges straight for Sora and Telary.

Azlyn is about to throw her shield at his back, until suddenly she stops herself. She knows it won't do much good, so why make the effort at all? Luckily Sora and Telary have already scrambled away, and instead of crushing them the large monkey barrels into a support pillar. It isn't built as well as the carved one, and crumbles into chunks of grey rock. The room's ceiling shakes and lets loose a few stones, but Louie is too concentrated to take notice. He charges again, barreling through two more columns.

Telary is waiting for him, standing steady with his arms held out wide. Calling upon all the magical strength he has, the wizard summons a barrier spell that encompasses at least twelve feet all around him. Light sparks from the king's impact, momentarily illuminating the entire chamber.

The sudden light also stuns Louie, sending him stumbling back with a massive hand over both eyes. Some of the remains of the pillars he felled are kicked aside, but a few are substantial enough to trip the Bandar-Log's king up. He stumbles back, falling to the ground hard enough to shake more rock loose from the ceiling.

"Azlyn!" Sora calls to the knight, gesturing upward. The roof's upper right section is an absolute mess, holes the size of men already shaken loose.

The knight gets the message, hurling her shield upward. It clangs against the roof, giving it one shake more than it can really handle. It collapses, at least a ton of stone raining down on the still stunned King Louie. His hand falls away from his face, and he has just enough time to look up and see what's coming. A heartbeat later, he's buried beneath the rubble.

The trio don't waste any time on standing around and congratulating themselves, immediately returning to their original plan. Even with Azlyn taking a few moments to find her shield amongst the roof rubble, they're all up and over the window within two minutes.

It's raining outside, the sky blackened by thick clouds. The wind howls. Sora looks around, grimacing as memories of the night he received the Keyblade wash over him. This storm isn't nearly as bad as that one, of course, but the similarities are enough to chill him.

"Come on, Sora!" Azlyn yells at him, snapping the Keybearer from his contemplations. "You're the only one who knows where your Gummi ship is parked, so lead the way."

Shaking off his fear, Sora turns, nods to his companions, and starts leading the way.

**KH-KH-KH**

For any soldier, dedication and perseverance are everything. And when said soldier is doing work as a bodyguard, vigilance and readiness find themselves right up there with the other two. Sergeant Adelbert Steiner of PSICOM is a soldier through and through, and eager to prove his worth as a bodyguard.

Which is why it's kind of embarrassing that he's practically falling asleep on his feet. Leon and Laguna have been in discussion for hours, most of it consisting of day-to-day operations minutia for their respective cities. Even to a civil servant as dedicated as Steiner, it's not quite stimulating. The only remotely interesting thing to happen was when Chancellor Ardyn showed up for a few minutes, mockingly taking over Steiner's duties to check the president's drink.

It kind of gets to the sergeant, just how flippant Laguna is with his own life. Every time Steiner tries to do his job, it seems the president only has jokes about him being some kind of overly aggressive nanny. A soldier's duty is to his country, and the leaders therein, but some respect wouldn't be out of the question, would it?

Anyway, he really should focus. One of the ways Laguna has been showing him respect in the past few days is asking for his opinions on various things. It would do the sergeant well to be educated on any subject that could come up. Besides, it seems the current conversation very much has something to do with him.

"And of course, I think things will become considerably less tense on our end once PSICOM has reduced its strength," Leon says, hands folded perfectly on the table in front of him. Beside him, the moon can be seen shining through the floor-to-ceiling window by the library's staircase.

Laguna frowns at his counterpart. "What exactly do you mean 'reduced its strength'? We have PSICOM for a reason, just the same as your own forces."

"With all due respect," the Restoration Committee leader counters, "our security forces are considerably less in number than yours."

"Can you help a patriotic spirit?" Laguna asks, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smile. "We offered to release anyone from service who had been conscripted during the Deiling administration. Honestly, I was pretty surprised by how many people stuck around."

"And as for hardware?" Leon says, raising an eyebrow. "All those drones and advanced armors can't possibly be a necessity anymore. Even _if_ the Heartless presence hadn't drastically reduced, we've gotten along just fine with the basics."

"Not to mention your own troupe of magical destined heroes," the president points out. "And besides, Mr. Leonhart, we _are_ putting aside quite a bit of or more extreme military hardware."

"And where, exactly, _is_ this 'aside'? You still have access to it, it hasn't been destroyed?"

Laguna's smirk drops into a frown. "Well, no. But are you _really_ going to sit here and be upset because we have access to a morally dubious superior technology source? Sounds a bit like the pot calling the kettle black."

"You still want in to Xehanort's lab," Leon says with a sigh. He shakes his head, trying his best to deflate the tension building up inside. "You're perfectly aware of why we have to get in there."

"Which is why I was trying to not bring it up," Laguna says, shrugging. He takes another long sip of his water, the cup almost empty now, then continues."But this is politics, much as I hate it, and I have to use the resources I have. Whether they're military hardware or rhetorical tactics. We want to work with you, Leon, same as I know you want to work with us. But, even as much as they were burned by my predecessor, the people of Bright Oasis want and need assurances of safety."

Leon leans forward, looking his counterpart straight in the eye. "So do mine, Laguna. They won't be happy living with a potential gun pointed at their heads. And intended or not, that's what quite a few people think of your city. You have a hardware advantage, and a population advantage. There's nothing you can do about the second, so I'm asking you to at least consider the first."

The room is completely silent for a long few seconds, the two city leaders staring each other down. Even knowing that nothing is probably going to happen, Steiner can't help but feel the urge to reach for his weapon.

Finally, Laguna nods. He doesn't look terribly happy, grimacing a bit. Still, when he speaks it's with nothing but serenity and sincerity. "I suppose I do have to consider all that. But maybe we should discuss it later. It's getting late, and to be perfectly honest I'm not feeling one-hundred percent."

Leon frowns, instantly concerned. "Is there anything we can do for you, Mr. President?"

Laguna waves the offer away, smiling. "No, it's just a little mild stomach discomfort. Maybe there's something in the soil, or a local spice or something that isn't agreeing with me. It's no big deal."

Steiner frowns, his suspicion senses going off unbidden. He doesn't say anything though, not looking forward to another teasing. As Laguna stands, the sergeant simply walks over just in case his charge needs any support.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Leon," Bright Oasis's president says with a forced smile. "Your man Cid should have the lab access doohickey ready by then, right?"

Leon nods, standing up himself. "Exactly right, Mr. President. I'll see you then."

Steiner leads Laguna out of the room, noting that his charge does, in fact, look rather pained. Radiant Garden had better hope said pain came about as a natural accident.

**KH-KH-KH**

"Now, I don't want to sound like I'm being critical," Telary says, holding Azlyn's shield over his head to provide himself and his wife shelter from the now pouring rain, "but are you _absolutely sure_ that you remember where you parked?"

Sora doesn't say anything for a long moment, mostly because he's checking to make sure that he is, in fact, absolutely sure before he answers. This is definitely the part of the jungle where he encountered Kaa. Other than having him insanely on edge, it's a reliable enough point of reference to answer the wizard with a simple, "Yeah, of course!"

"I'm gonna trust you on that," Azlyn declares. "For about the next ten minutes. If we're still wandering around after, I'm gonna start getting skeptical."

"By then, Az," Sora says with a grin, "I'll be pretty skeptical myself." Even as he turns to focus once again on his path, the Keybearer's smile stays lit. He really had been terribly worried about his friends, and it feels good to now be back in familiar territory. Even if they _are_ lost, Sora knows that everything will be all right with Azlyn and Telary by his side. When it's the three of them against the world, any world, the odds have consistently been on their side. "You should know, by the way, that 'kidnapped by monkeys' is now officially the new 'stole the Gummi ship' of jokes."

"I don't find it particularly funny," Telary declares, with more indignity than he usually displays at this kind of teasing. "You saw what those Bandar-Log were like. And that thing in the temple, the carving?"

"There's some weird stuff in this universe, man," Azlyn adds, shaking her head. "Speaking of, what exactly happened to get you racing off after us?"

"There was an attack on the Restoration Ball," Sora explains, frowning at the memory. "Pete was there, and he stole a lot of stuff from Ansem's computer. _Xehanort_ stuff."

"Presumably for Maleficent," Telary speculates. Even without a look at his face, Sora knows the wizard is grimacing. "Who came back to life by means and for reasons which we _still_ haven't determined, by the way."

"I saw some stars go out too," Sora continues, holding up a hand to curtail his companions' loud exclamations. "They went right back on though, like flickering. Still, it's not a bad theory to think Maleficent's after Keyholes again."

"As messed up as it sounds," Azlyn muses, "I don't mind that. At least it's a real goal for us to stop. Did anybody else feels like we spent most of that Organization XIII adventure just wandering around aimlessly?"

"Whatever it ends up being, we'll deal with it," Telary pronounces in his best reassurance voice. "We've dealt with plenty else, right?"

Sora stops, letting out a sigh as he turns to face his friends. Both of them look at him with clear concern. "Doesn't that bother you? How we're always _dealing_ with stuff? We have lives too, y'know. Heck, the two of you are going to start king and queen training soon! Can't the universe just maybe throw us a break?"

After a long moment, it's surprisingly Azlyn who speaks up with gentle wisdom. "Nothing lasts forever, man. And even if things stay kinda freaky for us forever, at least we're together to face it. Telary's right. There's nothing the universe can throw at us that we can't deal with."

Uplifted by the knight's words, Sora opens his mouth to thank her for the encouragement. That's when the tall, armor-clad figure bursts forth from the dark jungle and thrusts a blade directly at his heart.


	7. Predator

The Keyblade is in his hand before Sora even realizes he was summoning it. A good thing too, considering that it's all that stands between the Keybearer's chest and a wicked metal spike. Looking up at his attacker, all he can see is a hint of gleaming obsidian before vision takes a backseat to action.

At least half-a-dozen blows come at him within the next pair of heartbeats, pure instinct taking over Sora's body to give him the speed he needs to block every blow. Not only are they amazingly fast, but each swing has a frightening amount of strength behind it. He's hardly able to even focus on what's going on, too busy trying to not be killed.

His companions are taken quite by surprise themselves. For a moment, Azlyn and Telary can only watch in awe at the high-speed duel suddenly going on in front of them. Azlyn's ready to react first, steeling herself for a charge. But luckily her brain takes over, realizing that with all the wild swinging going on, she's likely to charge in only to get knocked back. Or worse, bisected completely.

Though Telary is slower on the uptake than his wife, he still has years of combat experience behind him. He realizes the same problem with approaching Azlyn did, but that's less of a deterrent where his talents are concerned. Reaching into the well of magical power inside, the wizard calls forth the largest, hottest ball of fire that he can muster.

Sora doesn't see any of that happening, fighting for his life with everything he's got. Now that his mind has caught up to what's happening, he begins to implement some basic strategy. He steps back, trying to put at least a little room between he and his opponent. Who, it should be noted, he's still barely processed as more than a tall, wildly swinging blur. He's managed to, on some level, recognize one thing about his opponent. And it is terrifying.

There's a sudden loud noise coupled with a blast of intense heat. The blow Sora had been expecting doesn't come, his opponent now flying through the air propelled by a fireball at least as tall as he is. The spell fades within a few second, leaving only a smattering of small fires burning in its path. Steam rises from them as the rain continues to pour down.

Azlyn is by his side quickly, her shield out and ready. She doesn't look at him, just narrows her eyes at the attacker's landing spot. Nothing can be seen through the flames, but Sora doesn't hold much hope they finished the fight so easily.

"Was that some kinda Heartless?" Azlyn asks, just barely glancing at the Keybearer. Telary is beside her now, looking worried and somewhat drained.

Sora doesn't think so, and he's about to answer his friend when Telary lets out a gasp. Turning, he sees his attacker emerge from the flames.

With the benefit of distance, he can make out the details. The predator is tall, probably of a height with Riku. They wear silver armor over every inch of their unmistakably feminine body, gleaming orange in the surrounding firelight. A helmet conceals their face, a mirrored visor of obsidian perfectly reflecting the jungle surroundings. Behind them, a cape of dark cloth flutters just slightly in the wind that weaves its way through the many trees.

Her left hand is open, the sharpened points of her glove flexing. And in her right, she holds what is unmistakably a Keyblade. It's not too different from Sora's Kingdom Key, except for the pointed end and C-shaped protrusion at its end with yet more tiny blades sticking out of it.

There isn't time to react to the assailant's strange appearance and familiar weapon, as she pauses for but a moment before charging straight ahead. She's fast, her whole body becoming a blur of silver and reflected firelight as she comes closer with every stride. Sora and Azlyn tense, both of them preparing their weapons to block.

But it's Telary who comes to the rescue once again, calling down a deluge of lightning directly in the predator's path. It packs plenty of power, stopping them in their tracks. Electricity continues to spark and crackle across their armored body. It takes Sora a moment to realize that the energy is moving, gathering itself together in the attacker's empty left hand.

"Guys!" the Keybearer calls, already diving to one side. The Disney Castle pair respond with their own movements, just in time for a stream of focused lightning to fly across the spot they once occupied. Sora hears a large explosion occurring a few feet away, presumably the energy finding a target.

There isn't much time for Sora to note more than that, as he's barely on his feet again before the Keyblade-wielding predator is after him once again. No longer as confused and disoriented, he's able to put up a much stronger defense. Instead of letting the first swipe clang against his blade and back off, Sora manages to turn it away slightly. It doesn't give him more than a moment of breathing room, but at least it's the first sign he's had that anything other than magic can throw this armored assailant off.

He dodges left, the spiked Keyblade whistling past his head by a few scant inches. Leaping back, he's just in time to block an upward slash, pushing the blade down. Kicking the weapon's shaft to give him another few seconds, Sora finally succeeds in landing a hit. Kingdom Key bounces off the predator's chest without much apparent effect, but it's still a hit.

Predictably, the attacker doesn't take kindly to the strike. Her next swing, another straight upward chop, comes at Sora so fast he practically has to take a pratfall to avoid it. He manages to turn it into a backwards somersault, coming to his feet again in time to hold Kingdom Key high and stop his enemy's quickly falling slice.

It's the most powerful blow he's felt yet, his shoes sinking centimeters into the muddy ground. That's going to be a problem, but a few bright flashes coming from behind his assailant gives him hope for a momentary reprieve.

Several loud _whoosh_ noises fill the air, along with the expanding halos of the fire spell's explosions. But the attacker hardly seems to notice, pressing down harder to get Sora's feet further submerged.

He's not about to let that happen, moving Kingdom Key so his opponent's blade slides just an inch down the shaft. With more breathing room, he's able to pluck one foot out of the muck. The attacker breaks off her deadlock, going for a backhand swipe coming in from Sora's right. He manages to skip back, knocking away the now-glancing blow. His left foot comes free, and the Keybearer springs backwards.

The attacker moves to pursue, but the shield that flies into her armored head stops the action. Azlyn comes following after her weapon, one leg pulled back for a powerful kick. She twists midair as the blow lands, neatly catching her shield by the handle.

But then suddenly the knight herself is caught. The predator's armored hand wraps around her ankle, halting Azlyn's descent. With as much ease as if they were swinging there Keyblade once again, the armored assailant tosses Azlyn directly into Sora.

The pair go down in a tangled pile, disoriented and out of breath from the sudden impact and subsequent wild backwards roll. Azlyn gets to her feet first, though she can't help but wobble just slightly. Sora is only on his knees when they notice that the armored attacker is on the move again.

The there's a sound like a great fist hitting a drum, a loud _crack_ , and an entire tree falls over on the Keyblade-wielding assailant. Through a flash of lightning, Sora can make out a layer of purple energy hovering over the wood.

"Run!" Telary's voice calls, Sora and Azlyn turning to see him leaning against a tree a few yards away. They rush over to the wizard, who keeps talking. "I've got the tree held down with a Gravity spell, but it won't last!"

As if to prove his point, the sound of splintering wood echoes through the jungle. Sora looks over his shoulder to see that the fallen tree has been cracked nearly in half. Grimacing, he calls upon a spell of his own. A glowing red fireball shoots from his hand and hits the trunk, setting the entire tree ablaze.

"We need to get to the Gummi ship!" Telary declares, joining the others' run. He looks pale and worn, drained from such strenuous and repeated magic use.

"She's fast," Sora says, grimacing. Another great _crack_ splits the air. "I don't think we'll outrun her. And you look exhausted anyway."

"I can still fly," the wizard assures him, though the huffing and puffing breaths he speaks through aren't very comforting. Then, suddenly he perks up. "Wait, hold on… Can you two hold her off for just a few minutes?"

Sora looks at Azlyn, who just shrugs with a puzzled expression. Behind them, the sound of something large and heavy falling to the ground can be heard. No doubt they're being pursued once again.

"We can do it," Sora says with a nod. Telary doesn't say anything else, just puts on a burst of speed as his allies stop in their tracks. Turning, they can see the armored attacker coming at them full speed. Weapons ready, they prepare to buy some time.

Sick of being on the defensive, Sora charges straight for the predator. She skids to a stop, apparently content to let the prey come to her. He swings Kingdom Key down, her own blade easily blocking the blow. Azlyn leaps up and flips over the attacker's head, landing behind her. She thrusts out her shield, but the weapon bounces off the armored back without success. Sora only really notices due to the loud clang, too busy having his own attack run turned back on him.

The assailant is just as quick as before, her Keyblade strikes coming fast and hard. But by now Sora's been able to at least get something of a read on this mysterious figure. That doesn't mean the fight is easier of course, it's just that he's managed to adjust somewhat.

He ducks under a high horizontal swipe, stepping left and attacking the armored predator's flank. His blows do more than Azlyn's, but not by much. Still, even managing a small stagger on the attacker is one more moment he's not getting bisected.

Sora takes a small hop back from a swing, enough space between him and the armored figure to make her have to step closer. But she barely gets moving forward before Azlyn, holding the attacker's cape in both hands, gives a strong yank on the cloth. Momentarily thrown, the predator actually stumbles.

She turns and swings her Keyblade at Azlyn, who barely manages to duck and roll away. For the briefest of heartbeats the assailant's armored back is exposed. Sora takes full advantage, striking as hard a blow as he can. For barely longer than the blink of an eye, the Keybearer feels the thrill of satisfaction.

Then the predator pivots, her unarmed hand slapping into his torso in a devastating backhand. Her gauntlet's claws slide across Sora's stomach, tearing three huge rents in his shirt and opening shallow wounds on his belly. The Keybearer also goes flying backwards through the air, landing in a clearing nearly a dozen feet away.

He really only feels the impact of landing rather dimly, too stunned by the suddenness of his attacker's movement. Rain falls against his face, each drop like a tiny slap against his skin. For the briefest of moments he keeps his eyes closed, still too stunned and hurting to really feel the urgency to open them.

But then the loud sound of metal clashing against metal rings through the air, and Sora's eyes shoot open as he sits up. Azlyn is keeping the predator as engaged as she can, but it's clear the knight is little more than an annoyance. Steeling himself, Sora starts rising to his feet. He's on one knee when a sudden chill runs through him, his spine ice cold even in the humid jungle. On a curious whim, he looks up to where no trees block the sky.

He's instantly reminded of another night, one that seems as if it took place lifetimes ago. The night his life had changed forever, as a single storm washed away all he knew. Until now he'd been too busy trying to survive to notice, but now that he has a moment, the Keybearer knows what is about to happen to this world. The chill in his spine spreads, as if ice is now running in his veins instead of blood.

He hears Azlyn snarl, snapping his attention back to the situation at hand. The knight is on one knee before the armored attacker, her shield raised to block a downward slash. There's enough force on the blow to fling the metal shield away, leaving Azlyn vulnerable to a quick chop.

Sora doesn't allow that to happen, letting out a loud cry to draw the predator's attention back to him. The ploy works, Azlyn left slumped against the tree as the armored figure turns to face down her true target. She runs at Sora with the same speed she'd displayed before, but instead of meeting her head-on, he falls into a controlled slide to duck under a swing from her blade.

Despite how quickly the Keybearer gets to his feet, the predator already has her weapon poised to intercept his. She pushes against him, forcing Sora back a few steps before stabbing at his chest. A quick circular spin of Kingdom Key pushes the thrust aside, but there's no opportunity for a counterattack. The mysterious assailant is simply too fast. She swings at Sora's head, a move he barely ducks under, and with another flash of lightning and boom of thunder, the rainfall becomes even more intense.

It manages to rouse Azlyn out of her shock. Whatever this freaky metal lady is, she packs one hell of a punch. The knight shakes her head to clear it some more, reaching for her shield as she rises to her feet with the help of the nearest tree trunk. Whatever Telary has planned, he'd better get on it soon. Even with all their skill and experience, she and Sora can't seem to get a hold on this battle.

She's all ready to jump in and do whatever she can when the sound of rustling foliage behind her catches her attention. There's no accompanying blast of wind, so Azlyn throws a quick glance over her shoulder just to check it out. The sight of familiar points of light greets her. Dozens of them, coming through the jungle.

Azlyn digs a heel into the soft jungle mud, spinning one-hundred-eighty degrees. Heartless, human-sized and incredibly aggressive Neoshadows, begin pouring out of the foliage. After a quick glance over her shoulder to confirm that Sora is still holding out, she holds up her shield to face the dark creatures head on.

Only for the entire horde to bypass her completely. The knight turns to watch in a state of disbelief, but by the time the Heartless are pouncing, she's remembered what Aerith told her and Telary long ago: the Heartless seek to devour the Keyblade wielder. And here were, apparently, two of them for the taking.

Sora has just disengaged from a deadlock with the predator when the first Neoshadow comes diving in. He backs away on instinct, but the Heartless latches on to his opponent instead. Within moments, nearly half a dozen of the creatures are scratching at the armored stranger with all their might.

A pair slip through though, moving on Sora instead. A simple left-right swing takes care of them, but when a chill runs up the Keybearer's spine he knows that there's more going on than a full frontal attack. Sure enough, a veritable flood of Shadows are coming upon him. His initial spin takes out a handful, but the numbers hardly seem to dip.

Azlyn sails over the young man, landing hard enough to squash several creatures from beneath her feet. She quickly goes to work with her shield, slashing through the antlike monsters with wild abandon. Any that get through, Sora easily slays.

A Neoshadow emerges from the crowd, leaping straight out like a bullet from a gun. Sora prepares to deal with it, only to realize that the creature is aiming to land behind him. The Keybearer has less than the time of a lightning flash to turn and raise his blade. The armored figure slams her Keyblade into his hard enough to send the boy stumbling back several steps, takes out the flying Neoshadow with a flick of her wrist, and starts moving forward.

Sora has no room to go back, he can hear Azlyn fighting off the horde with all she's got. He meets the attacker's swing head-on, somehow finding a way to maintain his balance despite the blow's force. The next blow is low, and that deflection takes him off by a step. He pivots and hops to avoid the next blow, three jumping Shadows getting sliced in half instead. The next attack, a straight horizontal swing at his chest, is easily deflected. Two Neoshadows come at the predator from either side, distracting her long enough for Sora to scramble a few feet away. He has to take out Shadows while he goes, but as usual the buggers go down like nothing.

It takes him a moment to realize Azlyn is beside him. She says something, but an unfortunately timed crack of thunder renders the words unheard. Besides, the armored attacker seems to be done messing around with Heartless. She swings her Keyblade at speeds too fast to follow, and suddenly a space of at least five feet is cleared around her. As the cloud of dark particles fade around her, the predator simply fixes her visor on Sora and Azlyn. Lightning flashes in the sky again, followed by thunder.

Then, surprisingly more thunder. A near continuous series of claps in fact, accompanied by an unidentifiable rushing noise that is _definitely_ too loud to be wind. Sora can barely even begin to try and identify it before the Gummi ship crashes through the trees and runs down the armored figure.

She goes flying, turning end over end in the air. Azlyn doesn't let Sora give in to his natural inclination to watch, instead grabbing his arm and starting forward movement. They're at the ship's back before the Keybearer can even blink, the cargo door lowered to offer a ramp inside. Azlyn literally throws Sora inside, and he rolls several feet before his momentum is spent. He can hear the ramp closing, mingling with the sound of Azlyn engaging in some kind of struggle. Probably just a few Heartless that snuck on board, no big deal.

The thought of Heartless ignites another notion in the Keybearer's brain, and now that other things aren't occupying his time he has the good sense to worry about it. Sora is on his feet quickly, barely steadying himself before the whole ship shakes and he hears the main cannons firing. A moment later, the familiar feeling of takeoff rushes through his body. There's no time to enjoy it though, Sora has to get to the cockpit.

He reaches it in record time, Azlyn just a few steps behind. Outside the round Gummiglass dome, the world's pitch black skies loom with only occasionally bursts of lightning breaking up the darkness. Sealed in the cockpit, no sounds of thunder get through.

"What is _that_?" Azlyn demands, drawing Sora's attention to the sky behind them. He feels his breath come up short, despite already knowing what was happening to this world.

An orb of that somehow makes the black skies look lighter in comparison floats in the abyss, only the mild light coming off its fiery red center making its shape clear. All around it, trees, rocks, and creatures swirl, caught up in its inescapable gravity. They're far enough away for it to only appear about as large as Sora's fist, but he can see that it's expanding.

"The reason why we're going so fast," Telary answers his wife. As is usually the case in tense flight situations, the wizard's voice lacks its usual undercurrent of nerves. He's far too focused for any of that to distract him. "We'll make it though."

Sora finds that he suddenly can't stand anymore, falling into the nearest available seat. It's on the side where Azlyn usually sits, but he doesn't care right now. He's far too caught up in memories he thought he'd long buried. The feeling of flying through the air, helpless to escape the inevitable darkness.

"So are we gonna warp or what?" Azlyn asks, leaning over Telary and staring furtively at the instrument panel despite the fact she has no idea what any of them indicate.

"We need to get back into Gummi space first," Telary explains, patient despite the circumstances. "That should only take a few more seconds." The entire ship lurches, earning a rare curse from the wizard. One hand goes flying across a series of buttons, and suddenly they're moving smooth again.

Sora, finally more or less composed, focuses on the situation at hand. There's really nothing he can do at this point, but if he and his friends are facing death he'd like to at least be aware what's going on.

He needn't worry, however. Within moments, the black sky of the jungle world has faded into the abstract colors of Gummi space. Still darker than usual, an angry red with streaks of purple shot through it like splintering lightning bolts. Sora barely has time to register it all though, before Telary manages to activate the warp Gummi.

For a split second, all three of the ship's occupants are sure something is going to fail. After all, nobody they know has ever tried to escape a dying world before. But with a familiar flash of bright light, Sora, Azlyn, and Telary shoot off into the unknown universe.

**KH-KH-KH**

_Seven people stand in a circle, barely identifiable through the deep shadows. All that can be gleaned about them is the most basic information: all of them are women._

_In the midst of the group, concealed by darkness like all the rest, stands an eighth figure. This is obviously no woman, the shape all harsh lines and sharp points. It betrays no movement at all, not even the slight rise and fall of breath. It merely stands, perhaps a head taller than all the rest._

_Muffled noises, like the sound of a voice from far away. A strange voice, not easily identifiable as either male or female. Then the sharp sound of a harsh laugh, practically a squeal. After a moment of silence, another voice fills the air. The noise is rhythmic and steady, like the recitation of a poem._

_Dark purple light flashes in the middle of the circle, two small points high on the still figure. Eyes, perhaps? Just as quickly as they appeared the lights are gone. More commentary from the harsh voice, and then the mysterious poem begins again. Its louder this time, spoken with more force._

_But still, the words cannot be understood._

_The lights return, brighter than before. They fully illuminate the middle figure, revealing a grotesque creature carved of stone. Its features are clear now, but there's no time to take them all in._

_The sound of rushing wind, a flash of pure bright white, and then…_

Kairi slowly opens her eyes, finding only shadows to greet her. For the briefest of moments she swears she can see a shape inside them. She sits up quickly, eyes darting around the rest of the small guest room. It's empty, as she knew it would be. A small strip of light shines underneath the doorway, but there's no other light in the windowless interior room.

The memory of her dream remains clear, an odd occurrence. Kairi has never been one to recall dreams in detail, an odd blind spot in her usually hyper-organized mind. This one, however, lingers with staggering exactitude. She's halfway through turning her head to report this fact to Sora, before she realizes that he's not beside her. He's off somewhere in the wild and crazy universe, hopefully already reunited with Azlyn and Telary and on the way to returning to her.

It had surprised even herself, letting him go off alone. But somehow she had known that Radiant Garden is where she's meant to be. Staying was her decision this time, even if the why of it eludes her.

So why then, does she feel a sudden discontent? Like there's an itch under her skin she can't scratch. The dream, or something else? Was it a mistake, letting Sora go?

Mistake or not, the redhead reminds herself, that's what happened. Plenty of people wake in the middle of the night, their troubles weighing on them. Losing sleep won't help anybody, she tells herself while laying back down.

Still, she doesn't fight the urge to grab her nearest pillow, squeezing it to her chest and indulging the fantasy that it's Sora. Within minutes she is asleep once again, dreamless.

**KH-KH-KH**

He lied.

The armored man stares out at the small waves lapping into his feet. He can't feel them through the cold steel of his protective shell, and he almost can't even recall just _what_ waves feel like to begin with. It has been a long time. Too long.

Which is why he just can't stay here any more, especially in light of what he'd lied about. Even if his partner finishes the job, it won't be enough. He's healed plenty, most likely more than necessary considering what he is. Certainly the man will be adequate to the task at hand.

He clenches his fist, imagining the hilt of his old blade within. The sparks die before completing their coherence, but just to know that it _will_ come at his call is enough. Even as cursed a thing as it is, the man knows plenty about necessary evil.

And so, he goes forth to eliminate the other abomination. Perhaps the greater one at that. He moves on to meet destiny, empowered by all the conviction the truly mad possess.


	8. Out Of The Jungle

"So, what in the flying fuck was _that_ all about?"

Nobody has a response for Azlyn, except apparently the Gummi ship itself. The white glow of warp speed fades instantly, leaving only pleasant blue space outside. Not so pleasant is the noise that suddenly echoes through the ship, a clattering of metal followed by the muffled _thwump_ of a small explosion.

"While we're doing questions here, what in the not-flying fuck was _that_ about?" Sora asks Telary.

The wizard doesn't answer immediately, frowning at his instruments panel. After a few moments, he lets out a tired sigh. "Yeah, I thought this might happen. The strain of escaping that dying world just took too much out of the engine." As an afterthought, he adds a scolding, "And enough with the cursing, both of you!"

"Are we lost in space?" Azlyn asks, not even trying to hide the tension in her voice.

"That's the exact opposite of what I was trying to do with this trip!" Sora declares, throwing his arms up. Not a good idea, as a sharp pain suddenly reminds him that he's sustained wounds. Feeling his head go light, the Keybearer slumps in his seat.

It doesn't escape Telary's notice, and the sight of Sora's torn, blood-soaked shirt elicits a sympathetic wince from the wizard. "Yikes, that looks nasty Sora. Azlyn, I'm too drained for Cure, go get Sora a potion." His wife throws him a salute before starting down the ladder. "So, do you really not have any information on that… person?"

"Only a little," Sora says, frowning. "I had a dream about them, actually. They were in this desert, all attacking a…"

"Hang on," Telary interrupts, waving his hands. "What do you mean by 'all'?"

"Yeah, right. Um, in the dream there were actually _three_ guys in armor like that."

"Three?" the wizard repeats, crestfallen. "And did they all have…?"

"Keyblades? Oh, yeah." He frowns, thinking back. "Also, one of them was way bigger."

Telary's eye twitches, the entire left side of his face going along with it. "Well, fuck."

"Hypocritical much, Tel?" Azlyn asks her husband, regarding him with a smugly raised eyebrow. Once he's been sufficiently chastised, she hands Sora a bottle of green liquid.

"And," the Keybearer adds as he raises the glass, "the guy they were attacking had a Keyblade too."

Azlyn lets out a little snort at that as Sora gulps his potion down. "What's up with that? When we started out, the whole big deal was Sora being the Keyblade master, all chosen and stuff. Now we got the king, Riku and Kairi, apparently three giant metal psychopaths, and some other guy. You just get cheaper and cheaper."

Sora finishes the potion, savoring the cool feeling left on his skin once the wounds have been taken care of. With the pain alleviated, he allows Telary to remove his jacket and peel his shirt off. It's entirely clean, and leaves no blood behind on Sora either. A little incredulous, the Keybearer runs a hand across his bare stomach.

"This really is amazing stuff," Telary remarks, turning the fabric over in his hands. "Self-cleaning, transformation capable, and until today functionally invulnerable."

"Do you think we should figure that thing went down with the world," Azlyn asks, frowning as she takes a seat, "or go by 'us' logic and know that they managed to escape?"

"They came out of nowhere, whoever they were," Sora says, shrugging. "Safer to assume they could slip out just as easily. But for now, the real important question is what happened to the ship?"

"The warp Gummi must have failed," Telary explains, looking sadly at the instrument panel. "We were most likely still too close to the event horizon of the world's destruction when I made the jump. We were able to get one through, but unfortunately I wasn't terribly careful when selecting the first destination. I figured I'd be able to make a more precise warp once we were safely away."

"Did the warp failure affect the rest of the ship?" Sora asks. "I mean, we can still fly somewhere like regular?"

The pilot nods, crossing quickly to his chair. Once seated, he takes a few moments to look over something on the (thankfully perfectly functional) computer console. As he does, Azlyn notices Sora shivering and hugging himself. She quickly hands him his jacket, earning a small smile and nod for the kindness.

"Anything?" the knight asks her husband over the sound of Sora zipping up.

"Most systems are functional enough," he replies, clearly relieved. "But almost nothing is working at optimum capacity. According to the calculations here, it would take about three days to arrive at Radiant Garden. I don't suppose we have time for that?"

Sora takes a moment to consider, ultimately shrugging. "I guess we could go that way. It would be better if there was a workaround, though."

Telary nods, looking back down at the console. "Well, I'm almost positive Mickey would have packed another warp Gummi away on board for an emergency like this. The only bad thing here is that I won't be able to install that in space."

"Is there a world close by?" Azlyn asks. "Anything would work, right?"

"Yes, I just need somewhere to…" the wizard pauses, examining something on his screen for a moment. A smile quickly comes to his face. "Well, isn't that nice? Oh, that's perfect!"

"You found somewhere?" Sora asks.

"As luck would have it, we're not too far out from Agrabah," Telary replies, still grinning. "Though there's another world that's a bit closer. Any thoughts?"

"We're in a hurry, right?" Azlyn points out, looking at Sora.

The Keybearer doesn't answer right away. True, he'd like to get back to Kairi and Riku and Radiant Garden quickly. On the other hand, Kairi's comment about Maleficent targeting the Princesses of Heart once more springs to mind. Aladdin is one of his best friends, and if the former street rat's wife could possibly be in danger, it would be nice to at least give the Agrabah crew a head's up. And if that mysterious predator shows up again, having a semi-phenomal, mostly-cosmic powered blue friend on hand might make a difference. Plus, why miss a chance to see some friends?

"I think we can spare a little bit of time," he finally says. "Besides, Maleficent's plan might possibly involve Jasmine. Y'know, the Princess thing?"

"If you're okay with it," Telary says. He starts bringing up the warp sequence on reflex, only belatedly realizing that's not an option. With the coordinates locked, he simply brings calculates a sub-warp flight plan. "According to the computer, we should be there in about five hours."

"Is there anything I can do?" Sora asks as the Gummi ship begins to rattle slightly from forward motion.

The pilot shakes his head. "You should get some rest, Sora. I can imagine that fight took a lot out of you."

The Keybearer murmurs wordlessly in agreement, settling back in his seat. True to Telary's imagination, it doesn't take long before he's sound asleep.

**KH-KH-KH**

The sounds of the deep swamp surround Mickey as he makes his way through the marsh. It's humid and sticky and unpleasant, but at least this trip was worth it. Eccentric as she is, Mama Odie was able to give him Yen Sid's location.

He sincerely hopes that the old wizard might have some valuable insight. It's far from a sure thing, but the king trusts his former mentor. Without him, Mickey would never have found his Keyblade and helped seal the Door to Darkness.

Stepping into a puddle, Mickey spends a moment cursing the magical barrier that surrounds Mystic Bayou's resident swamp witch. If it weren't for that, he could have merely teleported in and out easily. All this mud and water isn't exactly ideal for a guy who's so short, testing even the king's famed patience and levelheadedness. He decides not to focus on it any more than he needs to, instead turning his gaze up to where a group of fireflies flit through the night air.

They give him peace for but a brief moment. The king hears a splash behind him, something heavy entering the swamp water. Remembering Mama Odie's ramblings about gators, Mickey tenses up and prepares to run as fast as he can.

And then he hears a deep, slightly echoing voice. "You have one too, don't you?"

The king turns slowly, hand held out and ready to summon his Keyblade. Before him stands a tall being in a suit of tarnished silver armor, face concealed with a black visor. Even just looking at him stand there, Mickey can tell that this is a dangerous man. Answering his question correctly seems undeniably important.

"One what?" the mouse asks. "And who are you?"

"A survivor," the man replies, and Mickey doesn't miss the sorrow in his voice. "And a protector, as well. Which is why I need to know. You have a Keyblade, don't you?"

Though puzzled by this mysterious knight's words and demeanor, Mickey holds up one gloved hand. His golden Keyblade appears in a burst of yellow light, momentarily illuminating the dark bayou. "Yeah, I do."

The armored man tilts his head, most likely studying the blade. "Interesting. So I wasn't mistaken then."

"Mistaken about what?" Mickey finds himself asking. "Look, if you wanna know about Keyblades, I could…"

"You have nothing to teach me," the man interrupts bluntly. "I can sense it, you know. The darkness inherent in that blade."

"I use it for the light," the king counters.

"I'm sure you believe that," the armored figure says, shaking his head disappointingly. "But I've heard those claims before. Even without that darkness, in the end intentions mean nothing. Just broken promises and dead friends."

"Look, pal," Mickey says, frowning up at the tall, mysterious figure. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, really. But I figure you came here and found me for a reason, right? So why not just get to it already?"

For a long moment, the swamp is silent but for the sounds of nature. Without sound, the armored man looks more implacable and dangerous than ever. Finally, he raises one arm with his hand outstretched. Light gathers in his hand, and just as Mickey had done before, the man summons a Keyblade. It's huge, at least double the king's height.

"I know, I know," the mystery man says, apparently amused. "This does make me seem like a hypocrite. I could explain why that's false, but why should I justify myself to you? You'll be dead in a moment anyway."

Mickey opens his mouth to shoot back a reply, but by the time the words are starting to form, his gigantic opponent is already lunging forward. His massive blade swings down, poised to perfectly bisect the small king.

**KH-KH-KH**

Kairi turns her Keyblade in a circle, effectively dispersing the fireball just like she'd been taught. With another one coming, she dives into a forward shoulder roll. She's barely on her feet again before a wide cone of freezing Blizzard energy threatens to encompass her entire body.

She tries to repeat her earlier blocking maneuver, but the spell doesn't have much distance to cover. The bulk of the magic dispels, but enough gets through to send a shock of cold through her entire body. She does her best to fight through it, taking a step forward and pulling her Keyblade back for a strike.

But with the chill still in her bones she's not fast enough, her opponent easily raising a magical barrier that blocks the blow. Another fireball follows, but Kairi dodges left and it flies right by her. Keeping up the momentum, she turns in a full circle and strikes with her blade. It does the trick, her opponent letting out a slight gasp of shock and stumbling back.

"Good, Kairi!" Quistis calls down to the redhead, smiling at her victory. "And great quick thinking, Lulu. You really made her work for it. Just remember to keep mobile next time!"

Steiner stands next to the Defense Force captain, numbly observing the training arena below. They're on a balcony several feet above, able to easily see what's going on in any of the six identical grounds below. Normally he'd be all about this, watching other warriors progress and hone their skills. But today, he's simply too distracted to enjoy it.

"Um, Sergeant?" Quistis's voice cuts through Steiner's melancholy, and he turns to see her staring him down with a concerned frown. "Are you okay? I'm pretty sure you didn't hear anything I just said to you."

"I did not," he replies wearily.

"Oh." For a moment she debates continuing the conversation, but this whole thing is a bout diplomacy, right? "Is there any particular problem troubling you, Sergeant? Anything I could do?"

Several moments of silence follow, and Quistis is about to turn back to the field before Steiner decides to speak up. "I, uh, I'm sorry about not listening, Miss Quistis," he apologizes, trying to be sincere even though that's not exactly his most reliable trait. "I suppose I'm just preoccupied with President Laguna."

The Restoration Committee member nods. "Oh, I understand. But we had the garden's best doctor in with him this morning. He's just having a little stomach episode, that's all. It's nothing dangerous." Not that one could tell judging by Leon's reaction. He'd reacted as if Bright Oasis's president had been found dead with a knife in his chest.

"Yeah, you're right," is all Steiner says with a shrug of one shoulder.

"Why don't we just do our best to take your mind off it then, hm?" Quistis suggests. The sergeant just shoots her a blank look, but she decides to take that as a sign to keep talking. "So, back to what I was saying before. How does our training compare to what they get in PSICOM."

The sergeant, for all his melancholy, doesn't hesitate to answer. "You seem to be much more concerned with individual progression. We have a more intense system, but it isn't focused on one-to-one teaching like yours seems to be."

"We pride ourselves on encouraging whatever unique skills a recruit may bring to the table," she says, smiling. "We're not so concerned with unit effectiveness as much as individual talent. What we lack in numbers, we try to make up with skill. There are more ways to approach combat than just shooting at things."

It takes Steiner a moment to mull over whether or not that was a deliberate insult. "And of course it's easier for you to focus so much on individuals. After all, your forces are much smaller and less advanced," he says through a false smile. Diplomacy may be the point of this mission, but he doesn't have to take that kind of lip.

"That's my point, actually," Quistis replies. "Numerical advantages are all well and good, but it's my goal to make sure that every one Defense Force member is worth a squadron in their own right."

"Is that so?" Steiner asks, scowling openly. This diplomacy stuff is really hard to keep up.

"Plus," Quistis adds with a small smile, "having a trio of Keyblade wielders basically on call isn't anything to sneeze at either. Just take a look at what just _one_ of them can do."

Back down on the floor, Kairi's switched out Lulu for Irvine. She'd assumed he'd be simpler to handle than Lulu's magical prowess, but that's not quite the case. While his bullets don't have all the power and diversity of spells, there are a lot of them and they come fast. The Princess of Heart isn't even quite sure _how_ she's managing to dodge and deflect so well. Irvine doesn't seem rattled by it in the least, calmly picking his shots in obvious hopes of unbalancing his Keyblade wielding opponent.

After about a minute and a half, Kairi feels herself starting to get tired. This has been good practice, but it has to end sometime. Snapping away one last shot, she focuses on the energy she can feel inside her. She draws it out, calling it to gather around her left hand. Within moments, the hand is covered in a haze of glowing white light. Deflecting a bullet into the ground, she thrusts her arm forward and lets her power fly.

The sudden light throws Irvine off immediately, his carefully planned shot going unexpectedly wide to the left. Not a moment later, the sniper feels as if he's being punched in the chest. He falls back, off the high perch he'd constructed out of rubber training mats. Luckily, there are more mats below to cushion the impact.

Kairi dismisses her Keyblade as she approaches him. "You okay there, Irvine?"

The sharpshooter sits up quickly, shooting her a wide smile. "Just fine, Kairi. That was some fine shooting you did there. Inspired ya, did I?"

"Both of you did, actually," Kairi replies, looking back to where Lulu is making her way over. "It's been a while since I've done such intense sparring. You two really know what you're doing."

"You fought well too, Kairi," Lulu says, just a hint of sincerity peeking out through her usually stoic facade. She looks down at Irvine, a frown settling into place. "You give me more of a challenge than this one."

"That," Irvine says a he rises to his feet with a broad grin, "is because Kairi doesn't make it hard to focus like you, being spoken for and all."

Lulu raises a hand. "Oh, and how much would a head injury make it 'hard to focus', for _you_?"

Irvine just rolls his eyes, laughing off the playful threat. He stops laughing once Lulu's hand swats the back of his head hard enough to throw his hat off and produce an audible _smack_. Kairi winces at the blow, but can't help but giggle a little bit at the exchange.

"You should teach me that move sometime too, Lulu," she says through her laughter. Looking up, she sees Quistis and Steiner having their own discussion. The pair aren't acting overtly hostile, but somehow she can still senses the tension between them. "So, can I ask you guys…?"

"What we think about Bright Oasis, right?" Lulu interrupts, one eyebrow raised. She shrugs. "As long as things stay friendly, then I'm fine with having a neighbor. Can't say I'm thrilled about their supposed military power, though. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Normally I'd be pokin' fun at Lulu's usual grim and gruesome act," Irvine adds, "but I ain't gonna say she doesn't have a point. On the more optimistic side of things, that president of theirs seems like a nice guy. Can't imagine him leading a march on us."

"Yeah, you're right," Kairi says, nodding. She can't quite shake the frown on her mouth though. "It isn't Laguna I'm worried about."

"Ardyn?" Lulu asks.

Kairi nods again. "He seems perfectly nice too, but… I don't know. Ever since I first saw him, I've just had this creepy feeling." She shrugs. "But maybe I'm just being paranoid. Probably."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Lulu says. "You can never tell what someone may be hiding behind a carefully constructed facade."

"Like how underneath all the ice, Lu here is just about the most caring person I know," Irvine chimes in sincerely.

"And Irvine isn't _quite_ as big a fool as he seems," the witch returns with just the barest microscopic hint of a smile.

"Thanks for not calling me crazy," Kairi says. She looks up at the observation platform again. Quistis is gone, no doubt on her way down for some close-up instruction. Steiner stands alone, looking directly at the Princess of Heart with an unreadable expression. She waves up at him, but he acts as if he doesn't even notice. For a long moment, Kairi stares back and wonders what exactly the sergeant is thinking.

**KH-KH-KH**

_The forest is bright, ample sunlight filtering in through the tall trees' leaves. The peaceful, random songs of happily chirping birds fill the air. A deep, confident tranquility seems to permeate the scene, shining through just as visibly as the streaming sunlight._

_A dark-haired man crashes through the underbrush and on to the scene, all traces of calm destroyed. He breathes heavily, checking behind him every few seconds. The man wears a thin, sleeveless grey shirt, his arms bare except for an armored pauldron on one shoulder and heavy leather gauntlets. Dark green pants cover his legs, providing mild camouflage in the wild foliage._

_He looks over his shoulder every few seconds, his expression steady and determined in the way only a pursued man's can be. What's coming behind him is unknown, but the man clearly wishes to be free of it._

_But luck is not on his side. He breaks through the trees and into an open grassy area. His footsteps continue without thought for a handful of steps, then stutter to a full stop on the sandy bank of a wide river. Despair overcomes his features for a brief moment, no more than a pair of heartbeats. He takes a deep breath then, resolute once more. The man turns away from the water, just as the sound of a falling tree fills the air._

_A tall armored figure steps out of the forest, a long cape fluttering in the breeze behind him. Held at one side is his massive axe-like Keyblade. The pursuer regards his prey calmly, the black visor betraying nothing but a smooth reflection._

" _The rumors are true, then," the once-fleeing man says, as calmly as if the armored figure was an old friend he'd encountered on the street. "I had quite a few men tell me that your kind were nothing but rumors designed to scare people out of the conflict."_

" _My companions and I are quite real," the predator replies, a hint of smugness peeking through the statement. "But not everything you heard was a lie. It is our intention to see this conflict put aside, by all members of all factions. There has been too much blood shed already, and the consequences of continuing the war could be even greater."_

" _So then, what is it that you want?"_

" _Simply for every soldier to lay down their weapon. To that effect, I'll offer you a choice, just this once." The armored man holds out his right hand, palm open and turned upward. "Your Keyblade. Surrender it, and never seek to draw another again. Do that, and I will be content to let you walk away."_

_The trapped man doesn't even take a moment to think. Without a word, he draws back into a battle-ready stance. Light flashes in his clasped hands, a blade of deep red appearing once the flash is gone. "If you want my blade, Chaser, then feel free to come and get it. A brutal and destructive as this war is, what we gain from victory is too precious to relinquish without a fight."_

_The armored man, the Chaser, says nothing. He glances down at the blade in his own hand, a pang of resigned sorrow clear in the mild slump of his shoulders. But whatever doubts he has, it's apparently not enough to keep him from taking action. The predator lunges forward, his blade held high to strike down his prey._

"Get up, Sora!"

The boy in question stirs, opening his eyes to find only darkness beyond. For a moment, the lack of visibility mixes with his dream's abrupt conclusion to create an ice cold knife of fear directly in his heart. He sits up further and the darkness falls away, a sudden explosion of light sweeping away his momentary terror.

"We're almost at Agrabah, Sora," Azlyn says, clearly exasperated. After a second, the blinding white falls away to reveal an utterly normal scene. The blonde knight stands in front of Sora, giving him a light disapproving scowl. "Put your shirt on if you're gonna. But hey, if you don't want to, I'm sure Aladdin will appreciate having someone to match outfits with."

The mention of his shirt makes Sora immediately feel like a fool. He looks down to see the dark fabric, still torn, laying in his lap. Well, that certainly explains his brief bout of blindness upon waking.

But it hardly explains his dream. The armored figure he's seen before, but the man being pursued is a total stranger. And a stranger armed with a Keyblade at that. A Keyblade the predator, the Chaser, had been seeking to take for himself. Maybe the figure who attacked him had a similar goal?

"Ah, Agrabah," Telary says with a dreamy sigh, looking through the Gummiglass at the desert metropolis below. "Man, we sure come here a _lot_ , comparatively. But, I guess as long as we can keep finding new things to do, that's not so bad."

Sora smiles, agreeing with the wizard's sentiment. Aside from the Restoration Committee members, Aladdin is undeniably the best friend he's made from another world. It'll be good to see him, his wife Jasmine, and the rest of the palace gang again.

But even as excited as he is, the Keybearer can't help the fearful thought lingering in the back of his mind: What if that armored nightmare were to show up again?

"Chaser," he mutters, all the terrifying implications of those two syllables threatening his ability to ever feel safe again.


	9. A Bazaar Encounter

"I hope Aladdin or Jasmine's around," Azlyn comments as the Gummi ship settles onto the smooth stone courtyard of the Agrabah palace gardens. "Otherwise we might have kind of an incident. I've never been a UFO before."

"Yeah, Tel," Sora says to the ship's smile, a playful grin on his lips. "How exactly do you think flying the Gummi ship down into the center of the city helps preserve the world order?"

Telary rolls his eyes before swiveling his chair around. "Come on, Sora. Genie lives in this city. I guarantee you they've all seen plenty weirder stuff. Now, c'mon and help me look for the Warp-G."

The wizard leads his friends down into the cargo bay, Sora making sure to lower the ramp in case their friends arrive. Despite the desert world's famous heat, a cool breeze washes into the ship and provides some much needed fresh air after the trio's long space journey.

Telary opens up a huge cabinet that Sora has always distantly noted, but never looked inside. He's quite impressed with what they find there, a neatly organized and clearly labeled repository of transparent plastic bins. Each one is filled with Gummi blocks, the respective bins noting what type they fall under.

"Something tells me," Sora remarks as he looks over the meticulously planned collection, "that you put all this together yourself, Tel."

The wizard graces his young friend with a smile. "Not this one personally. I did devise the system though. It's actually pretty flattering to see that the king followed through on my recommendations."

"Where do you keep the warp stuff?" Azlyn asks, grabbing a random box and hauling it out of the cabinet. After quickly reading the container's label, she drops it to the floor with a loud crash from the blocks contained within.

Telary winces at the sound. "Third column, second row, one box back. It's the only Gummi in there."

Sora, closest to the aforementioned area, grabs the top box and makes to throw it out of the cabinet. Telary yelps as the container falls, barely succeeding in catching it before it can reach the ground. He's just barely got it set down gently before another box goes flying. It sails over his head, landing a few feet away.

"Sora!" the wizard practically screeches, drawing the Keybearer's attention. "Would it kill you to show a little care? A little gentility?"

"Sorry." Sora turns back to the cabinet, reaching in as if he's part of a slow motion replay. Azlyn lets out a snort of laughter, quickly and uselessly trying to cover the noise with her open hand. Telary just sighs, lightly shaking his head at the boy's antics.

"Hello there!" a familiar female voice softly calls from the ship's exit. Turning around, the trio are greeted to the sight of Jasmine, Aladdin's wife and Agrabah's princess. She's dressed in her usual blue, midriff-baring outfit and giving them all a warm smile.

"Hi, Jasmine!" Sora exclaims, waving. Unfortunately the motion takes his hand from the Gummi container. Unable to properly grip the box one-handed, the Keybearer allows it to fall to the floor and produce yet another crash. The lone block inside bounces around for a few seconds before finally settling. "Oops."

"We're terribly sorry to be barging in like this," Telary quickly apologizes, lowering himself in a nervous bow. "But we had some trouble with the ship, and this seemed like a good place to do our repairs."

"There's no need to be sorry," Jasmine assures him, looking around the cargo bay with a curious eye. As a woman from such a low-technology world like Agrabah, she's absolutely fascinated. "You know you're always welcome here. Of course, you did give Razoul quite a scare."

"As I said, it was an emergency," Telary says. "We'll just be here for an hour or so, while I get this block installed."

Jasmine's smile shifts into a small frown. "Oh, you're not planning on staying long? That's too bad, I'm sure Aladdin would have loved to see you three."

"Where's Al?" Sora asks, stepping closer to Jasmine. Behind him, Telary opens the Warp-G's container's lid with a loud _snap_.

The princess is momentarily distracted, looking past Sora and examining the Gummi in Telary's hand. It's shaped like a 3-dimensional diamond, each side primarily purple with blue lines around the edge.

"It's a warp Gummi," Sora explains casually. "It helps us get from place to place really fast, like Genie's poofing. Our old one burnt out."

"I see," Jasmine says, nodding without taking her eyes off the block. Her royal instincts kick in quickly though, reminding her that a guest and friend has asked her a question. "Anyway, Aladdin isn't in the city right now. He left yesterday on a diplomatic errand. It's part of his preparation for becoming sultan. Carpet and Abu went with him."

Sora nods, not able to help the feeling of sadness that washes over him. He knows this repair won't take long at all, but it certainly would have been nice to have even a few minutes with his old friend.

"As disappointed as I am to hear that," Telary remarks, he and his wife joining the group, "I can't say I'm not a little glad, too."

"Why?" Azlyn inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"Just think about it," the wizard replies, idly tucking the Gummi beneath his arm. "If Al _was_ around, it would be almost impossible to get this repair done without being sucked into some kind of misadventure."

True to his desire to be "in and out", Telary immediately goes to work. First, he pulls out a pair of metal stepladders, slightly hooked at the top. He leans them against the ship's prow, then with Sora's assistance, raises the ship's massive hood to reveal one of the most complex pieces of machinery Sora has ever seen. Parts of it are metal, like those of the motor boats on Destiny Islands, but they're easy to miss. A variety of what are unmistakably Gummi blocks are attached to the metallic framework in many, many places. Sora finds it hard to focus on any individual one, considering the variety of strange shapes and bright colors.

But Telary isn't daunted in the slightest, leaning inside the open cavity and digging through the apparent chaos with determination and confidence. After only a few seconds, he emerges with several small stains of dark fluid on his frowning face.

"Is everything okay in there?" Sora asks.

"It's about as bad as I thought," Telary replies, shrugging.

Azlyn comes around the bend then, carrying a large box of red metal that unleashes several loud _clinks_ whenever she moves. "I got your tools, Tel," she says, shaking the container and beaming at her husband. "How about you show me how to use…"

"Okay!" Sora interrupts, waving his arms and cutting off his friend's innuendo. "I'm right here, guys. And since _that's_ never stopped you before, I'll also say that we have a job to do. You can be gross and inappropriate later."

"He's right, Azlyn," Telary agrees, his face red despite the very little time he's spent so far in the Agrabah sun. "Now, uh, could you find me the vise grip and the cutting torch? I need to get the busted Warp-G off before I can put the new one on."

Azlyn goes digging for the aforementioned tools with her usual fervor, throwing anything that's not one of the correct objects over her shoulder. She finds what her husband requires soon enough, passing it up the ladder to him. Tel passes one item, a dark blue metal canister with a bent metal wand sticking out of the top, over to Sora.

"Thanks," he says, once again plunging into the engine' depths. Sora leans in as well, intently watching everything his older friend is doing. Telary clamps the vise grip onto a diamond-shaped Gummi, quickly making sure it's holding as tightly as possible. After a moment of silent deliberation, the wizard attempts to pull the Gummi off by strength alone. He struggles with it for a few seconds before giving up. "Right."

"What was that about?" Sora asks, his fascination with the process surprising even himself.

"I thought I could just pull it off," Telary explains with a shrug. "That's usually all you have to do with engine Gummis. But part of this one's failure was fusing with the engine itself. I thought maybe it had just melted a bit and would come off with a hard enough tug, but it's stuck on there good and tight."

"So now…?" Sora asks, shaking the blue canister in his hand. Telary nods, so the Keybearer tosses him his tool. In a surprising display of reflexes, the wizard easily catches it one-handed.

The wizard turns to his wife again. "Azlyn, could you…?" She beats him to the punch, placing a metal facemask in his open hand. He slides it on, and for a brief moment Sora is reminded of the terrifying armored figure. Luckily, Telary quickly starts speaking, taking his mind off the remembered terror. "Avert your eyes, both of you. This flame is gonna be bright."

Sora covers his face with one hand, though not without leaving a little space between two fingers to watch from. Azlyn doesn't even flinch as her husband reaches for the canister's small valve. Telary holds it away from his body, facemask hiding his tense expression. It doesn't seem there would be a difference between fire that spews from a can and fire that comes flying out of your hands, but to him there is. So, as cautiously as possible, he starts to turn the small gear…

Instead of bright flame, however, a loud noise pierces the garden's air. Loud and unpleasant, like someone letting off a massive, unrestrained fart.

Telary quickly turns the spout back, before flipping his facemask up. He examines the canister with a bewildered expression, quite unsure of why it had…

He doesn't have to wait long for an answer. The canister begins making more strange noises, though within a few seconds the trio is able to identify the sound as laughter. Two large blue eyes open on the canister's side, a wide open mouth beneath them. It leaps from Telary's hands to float in the air, blue smoke pouring from the spout.

"GENIE!" Sora, Azlyn, and Telary exclaim, regarding the figure that appears in the smoke with amusement, annoyance, and exasperation respectively.

"Gotcha!" Genie, now in his default form, declares as he looks over the trio. He's still giggling without restraint, one hand on his ample stomach. "I know that was a little lowbrow, but I mean it's been _five_ stories, guys! How is a genie supposed to keep coming up with winning material?"

For a very long, awkward moment no one is sure of what to say. Finally, Sora decides to speak up. "Uh, it's okay Genie. Under normal circumstances, that would have been hilarious. But we're trying to get out of here fast, and there's some badass metal lady trying to kill me with a Keyblade. We're sort of on edge."

"Oh," Genie says, frowning. He floats closer to the ground, absently playing with his beard. "Sorry if I'm bothering you guys. Can I do anything to help?"

"I should be able to handle this just fine," Telary says. Azlyn quickly locates the real cutting torch, passing it up to her husband. The wizard puts his mask back down, releases the canister's contained gas, and lights up the torch with a quick Fire spell. Without another word, he leans back into the engine cavity.

Sora meanwhile, focuses on Genie. "Are you okay, man? You don't seem like your normal self."

"Al left you behind, didn't he?" Azlyn interjects.

"Yep," Genie replies, openly scowling. "I wanted to go, but Al told me to stay behind. Apparently, he was worried I might be 'detrimental to the diplomatic process'. I know about politics. 'Make me a king' was probably the top wish among my many masters. Sure, they all ended up getting executed afterwards, but by that point it's out of my hands, y'know?"

"I'm sure he had a good reason," Sora tries to assure the big blue lug. "He wouldn't want Jasmine getting lonely without him around, would he? He knew how much she would miss him, and who better to have around to keep her cheered up than you?"

"Oh, Sora," Genie says with a big smile. He quickly zips over to the Keybearer and gives him a hug. "What a nice thing to say. It was a pack of bald-faced lies, but you said it with such _conviction_! I actually almost believed you for a second."

At that moment, Telary emerges from the Gummi ship and raises the defective Warp-G above his head. "I got it! Nice and easy, we'll be out of here in no time!"

Genie backs away from Sora, looking miffed once again. "What? That's it? You three just popped in for a pit stop? Does this look like a gas station to you?"

"We're really sorry, Genie," Sora apologizes. Behind him, Azlyn hands the fresh Warp-G up to Telary. "But like I already said, we're kind of in a hurry. There's some stuff going on. Maybe bad stuff, and we need to get back to Riku and Kairi so we can start figuring it all out."

"What exactly do you mean by 'bad stuff'?" Jasmine asks, arriving once again from inside the palace. "Is it anything we can help with?"

"Yeah, yeah, put us in coach!" Genie says, a red and white striped baseball uniform appearing on his body. "My semi-cosmic, nearly-phenomenal powers are at your command as always."

"I appreciate that," Sora says, giving his eager friends a grateful smile. "But I think Agrabah is pretty safe. The Keyhole's sealed, which means Maleficent probably won't be interested in this world."

"Except probably she will," Azlyn cuts in, shaking her head. "Jasmine is still a Princess of Heart. Which means that witch will probably be trying to get her slimy green hands on her."

"I'd like to see her try!" Genie declares, his baseball uniform instantly becoming a black suit, dark shades covering his eyes as he takes up position behind Jasmine. "Just call me Kevin Costner, 'cause this princess is being bodyguarded!"

Jasmine frowns at the big blue lug before looking to Sora. "As much as I hate to be babysat, if you really think that she'd send someone here after me, I'll do my best to be careful."

"We're all good here," Telary says, carefully stepping down from the ladder. "That went even faster than I thought it would."

"Well," Sora says with a sigh, looking sadly at Genie and Jasmine, "I guess we should really be going. I wish we could stay longer, I would've really liked to see Aladdin."

"It seems a shame to have you here and do nothing but say hello," Jasmine says. "I know, why don't we at least provide you with something to eat?"

"I could go for dinner," Azlyn declares, rubbing her stomach thoughtfully. "Or is it lunch time? Man, I get so disoriented when I'm running on Gummi ship time."

"Food would be wonderful," Telary agrees, smiling at the Agrabah pair. "If that's alright with Sora, that is. He's the one setting the schedule here."

The Keybearer just shrugs. "Sure, why not. Even if Al isn't here, it would be nice for us to have a little time to catch up. We can't stay long, though."

"Alrighty!" Genie says, poofing up a full kitchen. He holds up one hand, ready to snap but hesitating to actually go through with it.

"Um, Genie?" Sora prompts.

"Sorry, sorry," the big blue lug apologizes, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm trying to figure out if it's too soon for a Paula Dean joke. Or maybe it's safer to just go with Rachel Ray."

"I don't know who either of those people are," Azlyn points out. The others add their agreement. "So let's just skip it okay? I am actually pretty hungry."

"We can have anything prepared by the palace kitchens," Jasmine offers.

"Actually," Telary interjects with a raised hand, "not to be a bother or anything, but I distinctly remember some kebabs from the marketplace that were delicious. Y'know, once I actually got to eat one."

"If that's what you want," the princess says with a smile, "then that's what you'll get."

**KH-KH-KH**

The Agrabah marketplace is just as busy and bustling as ever, hundreds of people crowding dozens upon dozens of stalls. Despite the crowds, loud shouts, and disorienting mixture of smells, Sora feels perfectly comfortable walking along the sandy road. Every time he visits this place, he's reminded of how lifeless and empty it was the first time he'd been. Back then, the threat of the Heartless loomed large over everything, worlds dying even as the Keybearer did his best to save them.

Hopefully, he won't find himself in a repeat of that situation once again. The sight of the jungle world's destruction keeps playing over and over again in his head. At least there's no chance of that happening to this world, Agrabah's Keyhole safely sealed within the hidden Cave of Wonders.

Instead, he decides to focus on just how much the people of Agrabah seem to love Jasmine. The future queen receives greeting from practically everyone not too distracted by their shopping. Especially the children.

"Do you make it out to the market often, Jasmine?" Telary asks as the princess finishes waving to a pair of small children rushing past.

"Whenever I can," she replies, smiling serenely. "Usually with Aladdin. Even though he's becoming sultan, he never wants to lose his connection to these streets. Whenever we're out, he's sure to throw out a good deed or two. Even if it's just something simple as asking a person how their day is going. I admire that about him, and the people do too."

"Accessibility," Telary mutters, as if he's adding an item to some invisible list. "Not just ruling and making good decisions from on high, but really knowing the people you're responsible for. Of course."

Sora's confused for a moment, but it doesn't take long for him to make sense of it. Out of all the wild things that happened during Azlyn and Telary's wedding, what had most thrown the couple was the reveal that Mickey had named them heirs to Disney Castle and its kingdom. With the many whirlwind happenings of the day, and the pair's absence since, Sora hasn't gotten a chance to really talk to either of them about it.

Not that he's worried in the slightest. Azlyn and Telary have always been there for him, staying steadfast and quick-witted, as well as compassionate, since the day they met. If those aren't the greatest qualities a ruler can have, then Sora doesn't know what are.

Lost in admiring thoughts of his friends, the Keybearer almost misses the group of children brazenly running across his path. Luckily, his reflexes are finely tuned after nearly three years of desperately fighting for his life and he manages to skip back out of the way. He watches the kids as they charge across the street, no more mindful of the other pedestrians than they were of him. It seems like a lifetime since he was that young, so full carefree and full of youthful exuberance.

Watching them run into an alley, wistful about his life before the responsibilities of the Keyblade, he completely misses out on the fact that he's being watched.

They've reached the food stall now, the wonderful aromas of cooking meat and vegetables filling every member of the party with a longing for what's being served. Except for Genie, who doesn't really have a need for food. Besides, everything he doesn't conjure up himself just ends up tasting funny.

The vendor is starstruck at first, reflexively bowing to Jasmine and almost getting the sleeve of his green robe caught in the cooking fire. She quickly calms him down with her usual grace and charm. Minutes later, everyone has food in hand.

"What do we owe you?" Jasmine asks, reaching for a pouch by her side.

" _Owe_ me, Your Grace?" the vendor repeats, his eyes widening as far as they can. "No, no. Please, it would be dishonorable of me, a humble cook…"

"The dishonorable thing," the princess interrupts him, coins in hand, "would be for me to abuse my station to cheat you out of what is rightfully yours."

"Jasmine, you don't have to pay," Telary cuts in. Half of the meat on his skewer is already gone. "We're the ones who barged in and made you go out for dinner…"

Jasmine shakes her head, a refusal already forming on her lips. She doesn't get any words out, though, before Azlyn pushes her aside. The knight's hand is full of coins. "Here," she says, slamming the munny down on the counter. "All of this arguing over the bill is making me crazy."

Sora can't help but be a little impressed by his friend. It's a rare sight, seeing Azlyn being so free with her munny. Apparently all that character development wasn't just for show.

"If you insist," Jasmine relents, grinning. She doesn't yet put her own coins away, though. "But at least allow me to provide a tip."

The kebab vendor stares down at the massive pile of coins in front of him. "By Allah, this is more munny than I would otherwise make in an entire week!"

"Consider this your lucky day then," Sora says cheerfully.

"I'd offer to throw a wish in," Genie adds, "but that's not really my gig anymore."

As the group make their way back to the palace, Sora can't help but feel almost overwhelmed with happiness. Something about making a person's day without having to fend off the forces of evil in the process is just so satisfying to him. Judging by the look on Jasmine's face, it's a feeling the Princess of Heart shares.

When she giggles, Sora just can't help but ask, "What's so funny, Jasmine?"

"I was just thinking," she replies, "that it wasn't long ago that I was walking through the market and assuming I could just take whatever I wanted. If anything, I would have massively overpaid out of sheer ignorance. Aladdin changed all that."

The soft look of love fills Sora's heart with instant warmth. A moment later, the sharp pain of being separated from Kairi turns him cold again. It's barely been two days, and yet he can't help but miss the redhead fiercely. There's fear as well, an irrational but nonetheless potent fear that this brief separation will turn long.

"Ah yes, the great Aladdin of Agrabah."

The voice, smooth and cultured even without what Sora would consider an accent, fills the air like morning fog. Everyone in the market stops and reacts, looking around in puzzlement. Except for Jasmine, her loving look turning to anger in an instant.

In the same instant, a sphere of dark purple and black appears overhead. It's a sight Sora, Azlyn, and Telary know all too well. When it fades out, a man floats in the air. He's fairly young, oddly pale for the denizen of a desert world, and rather handsome. The look on his face reminds Sora instantly of the witch Maleficent. Fine robes of dark blue, cape included, cover his body with a matching turban atop his head. His arms are folded tightly across his chest, one and bare and the other covered by a dull gold gauntlet.

"I do _so_ enjoy hearing of his many accomplishments," the floating man says with a shake of his head.

"Mozenrath," Jasmine declares, venom in every syllable.

"You know this guy?" Sora asks the princess, rather bewildered by this whole situation.

"Oh yeah," Genie replies with a quick nod. "Mozenrath is one of our standard rogues, and dangerous at that. Less recurring than Abis Mal, but more likely to pop up than say, Frigeed, or Mirage or Ayam Aghoul."

Sora frowns at the big blue lug. "You made some of those names up, right?"

"No, sadly I did not."

"If you're finished dithering," Mozenrath interrupts, scowling at Genie and the Keybearer, "isn't anyone curious about _why_ I've made this visit to your overrated city?"

"Not really," Azlyn replies with a snort. "Why should I care about some Jafar knockoff? I wasn't even that scared of the real thing!"

"Watch your tongue, girly!" a new, incredibly raspy voice chimes in from behind the group. Some kind of flying grey eel passes over the group. It stops by Mozenrath, curling around the sorcerer's back and giving Azlyn a pronounced stink eye.

"Having a flying animal sidekick with an annoying voice isn't exactly making the comparison any less apt," Telary notes.

"If you don't mind," Jasmine interjects, frowning slightly at her friends, "I would like to find out what it is that Mozenrath is doing here."

"It really is wonderful that you all are willing to waste so much time," Mozenrath says, still smug. "Unfortunately, that's time that your dear Aladdin _doesn't_ have." He raises his right hand, and an image appears in the air. Aladdin, as well as his father Cassim, Carpet, and Iago are all inside some sort of clear containment unit. Aladdin and Cassim are pounding against the prison's walls, but to no avail.

"What have you done with him?" Jasmine demands, taking a step towards the hovering man. It might just be a trick of the sun, but Sora swears the princess is surrounded by some sort of odd glow.

"Only what any concerned fortress owner would do," Mozenrath replies with a shrug. "I caught your little hubby and his posse trespassing in my territory. He really should watch where he's traipsing around."

"What's that thing you've got them trapped in?" Sora asks, frowning at the magical image.

Mozenrath beams. "A little trap of my own design. Completely invulnerable, airtight… and of course there's my most creative security feature. While I designed the lock to perfection, I'm afraid that I never got around to making a key for it! Who knows how long it will be before the air runs out inside. What _is_ poor Aladdin and his sad band to do?"

"Wait a second!" Telary interjects. "Making a lock for a trap that doesn't have a key… Seems tailor-made for Sora's particular skillset. You anticipated us coming to Agrabah, didn't you?"

"It might have crossed my mind that I'd tangle with you one day. Best to always be prepared, I say."

"Come to think of it," Genie interjects, thoughtfully scratching at his chin, "Al would know better than to get within a hundred miles of your pad." Suddenly, the big blue lug's nose grows to an unreasonable size. "This whole thing has the stink of one of your big bad schemes!"

"What's the point of showing us all this?" Sora asks. "If Genie knows where your land is, then he can just have us poofed there in a second."

"Yes, that Genie is quite the cheat," Mozenrath concedes, something ugly flashing briefly in his eyes. His non-gloved hand reaches into the fold of his cloak. "Luckily, I came prepared as always!" Without any more warning, he tosses something at the big blue lug.

Genie's eyes widen in surprise, and on instinct he grabs the thrown object in both hands. After a brief flash, all that's left is a small box that falls to the dusty ground. Telary takes a few steps back from its landing point, eyeing the object warily.

"What did you just do to him?" Jasmine demands, tearing her eyes away from the box.

"He isn't in any danger," Mozenrath ensures the princess. "But I'm afraid that you shouldn't expect to rely on him for help in the near future. You see, _that_ is the puzzle box of the ancient king R'ub X. I just happened to pick it up on an… antiquing expedition."

"Got it for a steal, too!" the flying eel chimes in with a slimy smile.

Telary, the closest person, bends down and picks up the box. Sora momentarily takes his eyes of of Mozenrath, getting a good look at the object. It's covered in colored tiles, six colors that are scattered in completely random patterns. Just looking at it makes the Keybearer's head spin, though Telary seems rather confident considering the circumstances.

"You think some stupid puzzle is gonna scare my husband?" Azlyn says, grinning madly. "He's gonna have Genie outta that thing in seconds flat! Which, funny enough, is just enough time for me to kick your scrawny pale butt!"

"You seem to be slipping, Mozenrath," Jasmine agrees with a smile of her own. "Even without Genie, Sora can…"

"As you've already mentioned," Mozenrath interrupts, huffing and shaking his head, "I've come prepared for your Keyblade wielding friend. You see, I've got a few friends of my own."

Sora can practically hear the opening of Heartless portals before they even arrive. It's a good thing that the marketplace emptied out upon Mozenrath's entrance, as Bandits, Air Soldiers, and various other dark creatures flood the Agrabah street.

The spring to battle is immediate, Sora bringing his Keyblade down on a Shadow's head. Azlyn blocks a Bandit's blade, pushing it to the side and kicking the Heartless down the street in the span of a breath. By then a pair of Air Soldiers are swooping down, but she dodges and catches both of them with a throw of her shield.

Sora moves for Mozenrath, cutting down a Bandit and moving his head just enough to avoid an Air Soldier's kick. He spins and swipes Kingdom Key through the airborne creature's leg, enough to kill it as well. When the spin is complete, Mozenrath no longer hovers where he once did. The Keybearer frantically searches the air for him, quickly finding the evil sorcerer hovering close to where Telary is frantically working the puzzle cube.

Eyes wide, Sora starts towards his older friend, but suddenly a large projectile crashes into the dusty street in front of him. Looking over his shoulder, he can see a trio of camel-like Heartless standing on a nearby rooftop. Not a moment later, the other two launch blasts of purple-black energy from their mouths, literally spitting Darkness down on the streets below.

Sora tries to ignore them for a moment, but luckily there's no need. Jasmine doesn't let the sorcerer disrupt Telary's work, grabbing the nearest object, an apple from a fruit stand, and hurling it with all her might. It hits Mozenrath in the face, throwing his head back and sending him careening to his right. If Telary noticed the episode at all, there's no sign.

Azlyn is by his side then, prepared for any more attacks that Mozenrath might direct at her husband. A blast of dark energy flies from the sorcerer's gauntlet, but her shield is adequate to the task of reflecting it. Mozenrath dodges the returned blast, but his flying eel friend is far from as lucky.

Sora doesn't notice that drama, leaping up onto the Agrabah rooftops. The camel Heartless track his every movement, spitting more energy at him. He dodges some blasts and deflects others with Kingdom Key, never ceasing his movement or losing momentum. He finally at a height with the creatures, he leaps a gap of several feet, deflecting one last shot from the closest Heartless before bringing the Keyblade down in a blow powerful enough to lop its head off. The other tries to get off another shot, but all Sora has to do is step forward and cut it down as well.

He's ready to get back down to the street when he finds the decision out of his hands. The building shakes, the sounds of crumbling masonry filling the air. Sora feels himself sliding, turning to see that an entire section of the building is crumbling and falling to the street below. Unfortunately, it's the section he's standing on.

Reflexes kick in, sending Sora running against the current of falling stone. He leaps from one broken fragment to another, unable to stop lest his give in to the inevitable. More of the building seems to crumble with each stride, leaving the possibility of safety farther and farther away. Finally he manages to leap to solid ground, and safety.

He turns, watching as the broken masonry gathers in a pile on the street below. It doesn't seem to have affected his friends' fight. If anything, it signals the end. A few heartbeats after Sora's turned, a loud cry of victory emerges from Telary. There's a flash, and suddenly Genie is out in the fresh air again.

"I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" The big blue lug cries out in ecstasy, dancing around as pieces of his body break off and form into smaller versions of himself, each wearing a bright cheerleader outfit and waving pom poms. Brightly colored fireworks go off in the air around him.

Aside from Genie's lively celebration, the market has slowed down into emptiness again. The Heartless and Mozenrath are gone, leaving only Azlyn, Telary, and Jasmine standing in the street. Telary lets out a deep breath, shaking his head at the cube in his hand. Each side is made up of a different solid color.

"Awesome, Babe," Azlyn congratulates him. The wizard smiles as he accepts a high five from his wife. The smile grows bigger as she leans in and pecks his cheek. "Who da brain? Who da brain!"

" _You_ da brain!" Genie chimes in, giving Telary a hearty slap on the back. The force of it jars the wizard, R'ub X's puzzle cube rocketing out of his hands. Before it can hit the ground, Mozenrath's slimy accomplice swoops in, grabs the box in its tail, and darts into the nearest alley.

Jasmine, closest to the eel's escape route, quickly jogs after the minion. Stopping at the alley's opening, she frowns. "He got away!"

Sora hops down the rubble pile quickly to rejoin his friends. "Well that was… something."

"And you said this guy's one of your most dangerous bad guys?" Azlyn asks Jasmine with a dismissive snort.

The Princess of Heart frowns, not replying for a few seconds. "It was pretty odd. Usually things with Mozenrath are from from so straightforward."

"Well, whatever," Sora says, shrugging. "The important thing is that Aladdin is in trouble, and I'm the only one who can get him out of it. We've gotta go."

"I'm afraid I'll have to stay behind," Jasmine says. "Attacks like this tend to shake the citizens up. I'll try to keep everything calm."

Something about that statement makes Sora a bit wary, but he supposes it's for the good of Agrabah. "Sure. Okay Genie, you know where Aladdin's being held, right?"

The big blue lug salutes smartly. "Sir, yes sir. And I can have us there in under an hour, if you don't mind a little turbulence."

Telary frowns. "Huh? What do you mean, turbu…?"

Before he can finish, Genie transforms into a long blue rocket. His lid flips open, and with a burst of flame Genie rises, sweeping Sora, Azlyn, and Telary inside before flipping the top closed again. After throwing a playful wink at Jasmine, he takes off into the desert.

Agrabah's princess watches them go until they disappear over the horizon. Her heart aches for knowing that Aladdin is in danger, but she's also well aware of her offworld friends' stellar track record. Reminding herself of a queen's duty to her people, she turns to face the slowly reemerging crowd of citizens.

On a rooftop elsewhere in the city, Mozenrath smiles smugly as his loyal pet Xerxes drops R'ub X's puzzle box into his waiting hand.

"All in all, an excellent day's work," the sorcerer declares, throwing a smug smile to his nearby compatriot.

"Yeah, you sure showed them," Pete remarks, rolling his eyes. "But at least the Keybrat's outta our hair for the time bein'." He steps closer, eyeing Mozenrath's puzzle box. "You better hope that thingamajig does what you say it will."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about any of that," Mozenrath says, still grinning like the cat that ate the canary. He pushes just a small amount of his gauntlet's magic into the cube, the golden energy turning blue upon contact.

**KH-KH-KH**

The upper guest corridors of Radiant Garden's castle are quiet as Kairi and Aerith stroll towards Laguna's room. That doesn't change how acutely Kairi can feel eyes on her, the president's security personnel probably watching the hallways like hawks from within their room. She clutches at the strap hanging diagonally across her body, hoping none of the watchers will mistake the bag of medical supplies for anything dangerous.

"Thank you again for coming with me on this visit, Kairi," Aerith says, startling the Princess of Heart with the sudden statement.

"It's no problem, Aerith," she replies, shrugging. "I didn't have anything else to do this evening, except third wheeling it while Riku and Yuffie _don't_ go on a date." She doesn't mention anything about her suspicions, the nagging feeling that accompanied the news that Laguna had taken ill.

They stop at the corridor's last door, Aerith raising her hand to knock. Before she gets the chance though, the door is flung open to reveal Sergeant Steiner. Either he has the fastest appearing stink face in the universe, or he'd been looking like that already. Neither explanation bodes well.

"Yes?" he asks, gruff as ever. Of course, he's immediately eyeing Kairi's bag with undisguised suspicion. "What is it you want?"

"We're just looking to see the president," Aerith answers, calm and diplomatic as ever. "I know Dr. Kadowaki has looked him over already, but I know a few herbal remedies myself that I thought…"

"You really think," the sergeant cuts her off, "that I'm just going to let you walk in this room and start…?"

"STEINER!" Laguna calls out from within the room. He doesn't sound pleased. "Would you just let them in already. At this point I'm willing to try anything!"

Though he isn't happy about it in the least, Steiner steps aside. Aerith thanks him, somehow without a trace of sarcasm in her voice, and moves into the room with Kairi following.

The room is much larger than Kairi would have thought, but then again she supposes it _is_ a presidential suite. The door opens into a sunken area with marble floors, three steps on either side leading into carpeted areas. To the left is a large sitting room, two couches and a chair arranged around the most elaborate fireplace Kairi has ever seen. To the right there isn't much more than a few feet in front of a set of double doors. Beyond those doors lies the suite's bedroom, which is at least twice as big as the seating area.

Laguna lies on the bed, looking harried and a bit pale in the light streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling window on the bed's right side. Somehow though, none of the obvious fatigue seems to dull his sense of liveliness one iota. He smiles as Kairi and Aerith enter.

"Sorry about the trouble," he says with a playful frown in Steiner's direction. The sergeant notices, barely hiding a grimace under his usual professional demeanor. "Seriously, Aerith, if there's anything at all you can do I would appreciate it. This is no time for me to be wasting away in this bed."

"I'm sure you wouldn't be in this state if you had any choice at all," Aerith says, walking forward with Kairi and Steiner in tow. "And of course we in the Restoration Committee would much rather you be active and about as well. I just hope I can do something, anything at all, to help relieve your burden." She reaches out one arm. "Kairi, if you would?"

The Princess of Heart complies immediately, slipping the strap over her head and handing Aerith the bag. She goes to work immediately, rifling through it's contents. Steiner, tact and subtlety be damned, nearly shoves Kairi aside as he attempts to get a closer look at what Aerith is doing.

"Sergeant…" Laguna says wearily. He takes a moment, sighs, and says, "I realize that you're doing your job, and that's great. I appreciate the devotion. But to be honest, you hovering over every little thing isn't contributing in any way to my actual well being. And besides, the point of this trip is to show that we can build trust with these people. Please, allow me to show that trust in action."

It's probably the most serious and steadfast Kairi has ever seen the man. The most presidential. Just like his good humor, the sincerity shines through even his obvious weakness. It seems to be enough for Steiner as well, the sergeant backing away with a short bow of the head. Kairi doesn't miss his little frown, however.

As Aerith begins drawing things out of her bag, Kairi thinks of Laguna's words. Trust building works both ways, and the first step to that is understanding. So, hoping that she isn't making a huge mistake, the redhead approaches Sergeant Steiner.

"You really do take this duty seriously," she says. Steiner is obviously startled for a moment, but regains composure remarkably quickly. "Even more seriously than Laguna, it seems like. It's really commendable, I think. Being that loyal to someone."

"It's the duty I've been given," Steiner replies, still facing straight ahead. "It's what gives me purpose, drives me forward. It's important to me, having something like that. PSICOM has always been there to give it to me."

"Well, that sure worked out well when a murdering dictator was in charge," Kairi can't help but point out, though she manages not to make any other dismissive noises.

The sergeant shrugs. "Vinzer Deiling knew what it took to maintain order, to keep the populace focused. Maybe his methods were too much for Bright Oasis, but the city was safe. As for his personal character… Well, it's regrettable what kind of man he was at the core. When the people found out what he did, it was remove him or let the chaos go on."

"That's all you have to say?" Kairi replies, incredulous. "He was a murderer, and a tyrant, and all that you can think about is what happened when he was _found out_?"

"I wasn't put in this world to make deep observations, Miss. I know what I think is good for people, and that's a community that is safe and stable. Those are the important things, and obviously Radiant Garden isn't as concerned with them."

The Princess of Heart is speechless, desperately searching her mind for a comeback. A few feet away, Aerith is combining some herbs and grinding them into a powder. "Duty," she finally says, "is only as good as the cause you serve."

Steiner finally draws his eyes away from the president, a serious expression on his face. "And that cause, for me, is making sure Bright Oasis is strong and supports its people. The best way to achieve that is stability. Whatever way you can."

Two stunned silences in less than a minute. Kairi's sure that's some kind of record, at least for her life experiences. Luckily, Aerith speaks up and saves her from having to come up with anything else.

"I really hope this helps," the young woman tells Laguna, smiling graciously. She's still holding the small cup she mixed in, which she promptly turns and hands it to Sergeant Steiner. "Feel free to do whatever you need to make sure that's safe."

"I will," the bodyguard says, glancing at Kairi out of the corner of one eye for just a brief moment. "For the president's sake, I hope it works out like you say it will."

"Here, here," Laguna chimes in, weakly pumping one fist in the air. "Thank you again, Aerith. If you ever need a favor from me, ask away."

Aerith smiles, nodding sharply once. "I hope you're prepared to have me holding you to that."

"And a good day to you too, Kairi," the president adds with a smile. "I hope Sora returns with your friends soon. Hopefully I'll be well enough to meet them by then."

"I'm sure you will be," Kairi replies with a smile of her own.

The sound of footsteps appears behind the party, everyone turning to see Ardyn entering the suite. He flashes them all a bright smile, approaching with light steps. "Good afternoon, ladies."

"And to you, Chancellor," Aerith replies with a quick, but respectful, nod.

Kairi doesn't respond for a noticeable few seconds, almost helpless in the face of her nebulous feeling about this man. Finally, she manages to greet him with as much cheer as she can muster. And a kind of skirtless curtsy, which she immediately regrets.

"Aerith may have found a solution for my little problem," Laguna informs his chancellor. "As long as Steiner here lets me have it, of course."

"A bodyguard must do his duty, Mr. President," Ardyn reminds the man. Still smiling, he turns to Aerith. "I assume he's referring to an herbal solution. Such things must be quite common here, given your city's extraordinary vegetation. I assume you used Angel Root in your remedy?"

Aerith nods, impressed. "Yes, as a matter of fact I did. You know a little about herbology, Chancellor?"

Ardyn shrugs. "Oh, nothing much. I've just read a very few things."

"That you didn't happen to mention before," Laguna grumbles.

"Amateur, Mr. President. If I'd attempted the same as Ms. Gainsborough, there's no telling what could have happened. Might have ended up poisoning you on accident."

Aerith and Laguna laugh politely at the joke, but neither Kairi nor Steiner join in.

"We shouldn't disturb the president any longer," Kairi quickly declares, plastering a smile on her face and hoping it doesn't seem too fake. "Besides, you probably came to talk about something super important."

"Not particularly," Ardyn replies smoothly. "Only confirmation that Miss Heartilly arrived safely at Bright Oasis. I hope you don't mind, Mr. President, that I decided she should communicate with me alone until you've recovered."

Laguna shrugs, eyes still locked on the herbal remedy Steiner is holding. "Yeah, that's fine. She's probably still pissed at me for staying here, anyway. Thanks again, Aerith and Kairi. Have a nice evening."

"You too," both women reply in almost perfect sync. After gathering Aerith's supply bag, they exit with polite quickness, closing the suite door behind them.

"It should work," Aerith says as they begin the trek back to the lift. "I've spent a lot of time perfecting that remedy. The president will be back on his feet in no time, and Squall can finally stop acting like the world is going to end."

Kairi nods, reminding herself that it would be in her best interest to do the same. It'll be much easier, she knows, once Sora is back by her side, safe and sound.


	10. Black Sands

Genie isn't any gentler in disembarking Sora, Azlyn, and Telary than he was picking them up. The head of his rocket form flips open once again, the big blue lug bending over and depositing the trio in a discombobulated heap.

"So," Telary says, clutching at his head and groaning, " _that's_ what you meant by turbulence."

Back to his regular self, Genie just shrugs. "Hey, you said you wanted to get to Mozenrath's place fast. Well, ta-da!"

The landscape is far from deserving of such boisterousness. Sora looks around at a vast expanse of black sand, occasional winds drawing up dark dust devils to swirl across the ground. Even the sky above is bleak, full of dark clouds that block out all but the barest hints of the sun.

The only real standout feature in sight is a huge grey fortress, walls at least thirty feet high looming large. Thick columns stand at every dozen feet or so, except for a large gap between two that features a wooden door carved with intricate symbols of brass.

"Well, a bad guy _definitely_ lives here," Azlyn comments, casting an indifferent eye over everything. "If it was storming right now, it'd be too perfect a setup to believe."

"So," Genie asks, swooping down to Sora, "what's the plan here, guys?"

"We're going inside to get Aladdin," the Keybearer says.

"Okay!" Enthusiastic as ever, Genie stretches into a six foot long battering ram, a stone carving of his face at the head with two curling horns growing from his forehead.

"Sorry, Genie," Sora says with a wince. "But when I said 'we' I mean me, Azlyn, and Telary."

Back to normal for Genie. "Oh. Well, uh, I guess that's okay. I just have one question though… WHY DO YOU HATE ME!" Tears come gushing out of the big blue lug's eyes like twin waterfalls.

"Cut it out!" Sora snaps, and unexpectedly Genie does. "It has nothing to do with that. But you need to go back to Agrabah and keep Jasmine safe. Thanks for getting us this far, but she really needs you now."

"Oh, well why didn't you just say that?" Once again, Genie is in a black suit with dark sunglasses. "Bodyguard away!" He flies back off into the sky, singing about how he will always love you.

Sora doesn't waste time watching him go, instead turning to the huge fortress with a determined expression. Light flashes in his hand, Kingdom Key left behind once it fades. "Okay, let's crack this thing open."

He's about to raise his hand up and summon the blade's power when, suddenly, the massive door begins cracking itself open anyway. Azlyn readies her shield, and Telary opens his palms and mentally prepares for any quick spell-casting he'll need to do.

But who, or rather _what_ comes out of the door is hardly threatening. A man dressed in shabby but serviceable desert clothing, all of it some variation of grey in color. It's an interesting contrast between the garments and his sickly green-skinned face. Even without the odd coloration, the man would look like some kind of zombie, face sallow and sunken with empty eyes. Then he begins to walk, in the slow steps of an unhurried lurch.

"Aargh," the odd man declares, gesturing with one green hand for the trio to follow him. Without waiting for confirmation, the zombie turns and starts walking back into the fortress with the same sleepy movements.

"So, um…?" Telary asks, thankful that he no longer needs to really use things like words and sentences to communicate with Azlyn and Sora.

"Yeah, I guess so," Sora replies, shrugging. He follows the shambling man, Kingdom Key still at hand just in case.

"Where's Aladdin?" Azlyn immediately demands once the trio is inside the fortress. Its entrance hall is appropriately grand, black stone walls contrasting nicely against the white marble being used everywhere else. A spiral staircase leads up to an open doorway, black curtains bunched to either side.

The zombie butler doesn't respond, beyond a little more incoherent moaning. He just keeps walking, each step seeming slower than the last.

"Okay," Sora says, coming to a complete stop. "We don't have time for you to shamble us around. Just tell us where our friends are, and get out of our way."

The butler seems rather perplexed by that sentiment, awkwardly looking over the trio. His mouth opens and closes a few times, like he's looking for words but can't find them. Finally, the green-skinned servant just points up the staircase.

"Uh, thanks," Telary says, waving awkwardly before joining the others in their rush up the staircase. "That was odd."

"Not really," Sora remarks. "Not if you're trying to keep us busy moving slow when Aladdin's about to run out of air."

They run through the curtains, into a long hallway full of doors. There are at least a dozen, none of them particularly remarkable. The trio don't waste time with words, each immediately heading toward a door and throwing it open. Sora finds himself looking across the threshold and out into an endless expanse of desert, Azlyn nearly drops fifty feet into an underground cavern, and Telary just squeaks and throws the doors shut. Off the others' questioning looks, the wizard only shakes his head.

"Do you really think any of these doors actually leads anywhere?" Azlyn asks, throwing a frustrated look down the hallway. "If this Mozenrath guy is all magicy and stuff, it could be one big trick."

Telary nods thoughtfully. "Great thought, Az. Well, there is one way to figure out if there's any trickery going on by magical means." He concentrates a moment, white light gathering in his hand. "Dispel!"

The energy releases, bathing the hall in light. When it fades, the hallway and all its doors are gone, replaced by a small chamber leading to a set of double doors against the far wall. From within the illusion, the area had simply looked like a blank wall. The trio waste no time throwing it open to reveal yet _another_ large room.

This one, at least, has what they're looking for. At the chamber's far end, contained within a giant transparent cube, Aladdin smiles at the sight of his old friends. His excitement quickly fades, as the former street rat attempts to stand and falls back down to the floor with a pained look on his face. None of the others trapped seem any more chipper.

Scowling, Sora approaches the prison. For a moment he thinks he's feeling the Keyblade's power coming together, but that's not it. It's just anger, seeing his friends put in this situation. The real question is, for what reason? Well, whatever it is can be answered _after_ Aladdin is safe and free.

Iago is the next prisoner to show a burst of energy, squawking just loud enough to be heard through the glass. One quivering wing points behind Sora. Instincts kick in, and the Keybearer dives to one side just in time to avoid a blast of golden energy. It collides harmlessly with the floor.

Sora rises to his feet, wasting no time in preparing his combat stance. He's less prepared, however, for the sight of Sa'luk standing at the chamber's entrance with a wide grin on his face. Every single one of his teeth glints golden in the room's torchlight.

"What are you doing here?" Azlyn demands, standing next to Telary with her shield raised.

"I though you were a statue," Sora adds, recalling his last vision of the thief. He'd been turned solid gold by the power of the Hand of Midas, consigned to sink beneath the waves along with the rest of the Vanishing Isle.

"I was, boy," Sa'luk replies, his grin shrinking. Other than being flesh, he looks just the same as he had during the Aladdin's wedding adventure. A black vest and grey pants, three gold claws gripped in his right hand. A faint glow comes off the weapon, presumably the source of the energy blast. "I got better."

"I assume Mozenrath had something to do with that," Telary says.

Sa'luk nods, though his grin is now a scowl. "Indeed he did. He may be a pompous pain in the neck, but I can't help but feel a certain gratitude. Especially once he explained _why_ it was he brought me back into the world. A chance for revenge on Cassim, his brat, and the Keyblade boy."

"So that's why Mozenrath lured us here like this?" Azlyn says, barely containing a snort. "If he wanted us to kick your ass all over again, claws, he could have done it just fine in Agrabah."

"I'd watch that mouth of yours, Girl," Sa'luk declares, energy gathering around his claws once again. "You have no idea what I've become capable of!"

He launches a blast, but Azlyn is more than ready for it. She swats the energy away with her shield. It flies off to the left, hitting one of the room's stone columns. There's a flash of light, and suddenly the stone is gone. In its place stands a column made of pure gold.

"Oh," Telary mutters, glancing nervously between the pillar and Sa'luk. "Turning your own poetic justice punishment against others. Must be satisfying."

"Oh, more than you could imagine," Sa'luk replies. Behind him, a barrier shimmers to life, trapping everyone inside the chamber. "First I'll turn your sidekicks to statuary, Keybearer. Then you can watch your friends suffocate to death. Once you've seen all that, you'll be _begging_ for the gold, boy."

"You don't scare me, Sa'luk," Sora replies. He spares a quick glance behind himself, to where Aladdin and the others look even worse off than before. _That's_ what's really got him scared about the situation. "Gold powers or not, you're still not much of a threat."

"I do admit I'm a bit outnumbered," the thief concedes, looking over the trio without a trace of doubt or fear. "Good thing Mozenrath also offered to help me even the odds!"

_K-K-K-K-CRAAACK!_

The sound of solid stone breaking into pieces fills the chamber, large chunks of rock falling from above and crashing into the marble floor and making even more, worse, noise. It's a testament to Mozenrath's trap that a stone at least as big as Sora slams directly into it and doesn't make a scratch.

But the chamber's physical damage is all just background, in the face of the Heartless lowering itself slowly into the room. It's about as tall as two Telarys stacked on top of each other, armored in pale yellow and white all over. Six arms extend from its torso, all of them ending in clawed hands of three fingers. The top two arms hold blades shaped like crescent moons, sharp enough to almost cut the air as the Heartless lowers itself. Its golden head, shaped like a biting cobra with hood unfurled, extends from the torso on a cablelike neck. Its hook-shaped feet land on the chamber floor hard enough to crack the marble.

A cloud of dust and sand follow the creature in, crowding the relatively small chamber in its own personal sandstorm. Even Sa'luk isn't expecting this it seems, if his frustrated cries are anything to go by. So perhaps that's one advantage SAT have for themselves.

A few gold blasts come flying through the flying dust at random, startling the trio into action. Azlyn immediately dives into the sandstorm, deflecting a gold blast before running after its caster's position. Telary steps closer to the massive Heartless, already flinging Firaga and Thundaga spells in its direction. With both enemy situations being handled for at least the moment, Sora turns back to Aladdin's prison.

The sand seems thicker this way, stinging the Keybearer's eyes and leaving a mild burning sensation behind. But still he presses on, fighting against the wind and pain. He knows that his friends are facing far more perilous situation at the moment, a thought that keeps him moving forward.

Despite feeling like hours, it can't take Sora more than a few seconds to reach the transparent prison. He literally runs straight into it, smacking his head against the glass. He peers inside, noting just how shallow all the trap's occupants breaths are. Scooting along, he feels the wall out with one hand, searching for anything that might be an unlocking mechanism.

Finally, he manages to drag his finger across a thin seam in the material. Probably the trap's doorway. He continues on just a few more steps, jumping as an energy blast hits the wall just a few feet away from him. The trap doesn't turn to gold, instead bouncing the energy back out into the room.

There's no time to worry about that though. Sora finds another seam a few feet away from the first one. Casting his hand up and down it, the Keybearer searches for the door's unlocking mechanism. After a few seconds that nevertheless stretch on, he manages to lay his hand on what he's been looking for. It's not much, just a slightly raised bump, but he can feel the metal of a keyhole.

Once he's got the spot in his mind, Sora steps back. The sandstorm seems to have lessened and he can hear the sounds of combat going on behind him. He's tempted to look back, but it can wait. Raising his hand, Sora summons the Keyblade and unleashes its power in a single motion.

The trap's door flies open, the sound of air rushing into it temporarily rising above the rest of the chamber's noise. Sora follows it, hoping that everyone inside is okay. They lay in a heap, Aladdin and Cassim slumped against each other with Iago and Abu scattered around them. The humans revive themselves first, gasping for air and looking around in confusion. Iago follows a moment later, squawking even more hideously than usual. Finally, Abu comes to his senses as well.

"Sora!" Al manages to choke out. He doesn't say anything else for a few moments, focusing on just breathing in and out.

Iago, though, has much less body to fill with oxygen. "My hero! Oh, I thought I was a goner! Ya never know how horrible the prospect of death is until you realize you're facing it slumped up against a monkey!"

Abu screeches something at the bird, giving him a cross look as well.

"What is going on here?" Cassim demands, clearing his throat. Sora had forgotten until now just how deep the man's voice is.

"This Mozenrath guy came to Agrabah and told us he had you," Sora quickly explains. "We came to rescue you, and then Sa'luk showed up…"

"Sa'luk!" Cassim declares, jumping to his feet. He's a bit wobbly though, forcing the Keybearer to help steady him.

"Maybe you guys should just sit this one out," Sora suggests, looking over the crew with a frown. "There's also this big, scary Heartless flying around, so I wouldn't want anybody getting hurt because they're fighting at less than one-hundred percent."

Cassim looks ready to raise hell, but thankfully his son steps in. "Sora might be right, Dad. He's handled plenty of situations like this with his friends. There's no shame in needing a breather."

"Literally," Iago can't help but chime in.

"If it helps," Sora says with a slight grin, "I'll try and make sure you get at least one good hit in on Sa'luk."

"Very well, lad," Cassim concedes as Aladdin helps him sit on the floor.

With the others safe, Sora wastes no time in diving back in toward the fray. Through the storm, he can hear the sounds of the giant Heartless stomping its way around the room. Orienting himself in that direction, the Keybearer charges forward.

He's only taken a few steps when Telary goes sliding backwards past him, hands raised. The barest shimmer of a protective bubble surrounds the wizard. It disappears, and two fireballs fly from his hands into the cloud of sand.

The Heartless steps into visibility then, shaking off the fiery attacks like they were nothing. Its head whips forward on the thin cable of its neck, golden fangs glistening in its open mouth. Gritting his teeth, Sora jumps in. Swinging Kingdom Key downward on his descent, he knocks the Heartless head into the marble floor.

It retracts itself into the creature's body as the Heartless steps forward, swinging its blade down toward the pair. Sora deflects the blow, pushing Telary to the side, and out of harm's way, with his hip.

The Heartless doesn't commit more strength than necessary to the blow, instead immediately swinging its other scimitar down. Sora sidesteps, striking a blow into the lowered arm. Telary gestures again, swirling his hands as he mutters a few words.

Wind gathers into a cyclone at the wizard's command, pulling in dust and sand as it spins. Right into the Heartless's face, a healthy dose of poetic justice cutting its senses off completely. Sora and Telary unleash onto the head with everything they've got, huge bolts of thunder followed by a devastating downward chop from Kingdom Key.

For a brief moment, the sandstorm explodes worse than ever. Sora finds himself driven back by the wind's force, and thankfully his mouth isn't open to inhale incredibly unhealthy amounts of sand.

The intensity dies soon enough, most of the obscuring sand and dust in the chamber clearing away. The massive Heartless still stands, glowing red eyes boring into Sora and Telary. They step back to prepare for whatever's next.

The creature jumps into the air, extending its arms and legs to make a wheel. A wheel with giant deadly blades sticking out the side. It flies through the air, rolling horizontally for the pair. Sora and Telary dive to the ground just in time to hear the Heartless whistle through the air above them.

Sora rises and turns in a smooth motion, Keyblade held out and ready. He's perfectly predicted the Heartless's next move, turning back towards its enemies. Its body rotates, the blades spinning vertically now. The Keybearer doesn't concern himself with that, just swings his blade just as the creature comes spinning toward him.

He makes solid contact, sending the Heartless flying back through the air. It crashes into the chamber wall, breaking through the stone with a sound like an explosion. There's a moment of calm, before the Heartless bursts out of the hole it left. It's bipedal again, running toward Sora with blades swinging.

He dodges a swipe, ducking under the follow-up. Stepping forward, Sora drives his blade upward against the creature's chest. Its lower arm strikes with claws curled upward, and the Keybearer barely has time to move out of the way. Turning, he swings the Keyblade down at the arm, knocking the appendage away. Still close to the creature, he thrusts forward with stab to the torso. Above him, muffled by all the armored body surrounding him, he can hear the sound of lightning bolts simultaneously crashing into the Heartless's back.

The creature falls back, shaking the entire chamber with its impact. Sora takes a few steps backwards himself, wary of the cobra head. Sure enough, it springs forward on its extending neck, mouth open and fangs glistening.

Sora easily knocks it aside, then turns his blade and hits the head again. The Heartless's head explodes with bright light, the rest of its body rapidly breaking apart as well. Soon, all the remains is a free-floating heart that quickly disappears. The Keybearer watches the space it once was for a moment, wondering what happens to released hearts now that they aren't being gathered by Organization XIII. Come to think of it, was the Organization gathering them themselves anyway, or just taking advantage of a natural…?

"Sora!" Telary yells, incredibly close to the Keybearer's ear. He's instantly snapped out of his momentary reverie. "We're not done yet."

Across the room, Azlyn and Sa'luk are keeping themselves busy with their own battle. The bald thug's right hand is encased completely in a golden aura, occasionally firing out a beam. Azlyn either dodges or deflects, but can't seem to find an opportunity to attack herself.

But Sa'luk has used his new powers to his advantage, managing to get in to a closer range while his opponent is off guard. He fires a blast of magic, which Azlyn barely manages to sidestep. Sa'luk strikes like a jungle cat, his gold claws cutting into the knight's flesh. She barely has time to react before the claws work their magic. A shimmer spreads all along her body, quickly turning Azlyn into a completely immobile statue of pure gold.

"Az!" Telary yells at the sight of his fallen wife. He steps forward, fist clenched and ready as Sa'luk turns to face him. After a moment though, the wizard's eyes widen. "Oh dear, I seem to be running low on…"

Sa'luk doesn't wait for him to finish the sentence. Laughing, he hurls another blast, catching the wizard full force. In a flash, he's gone golden too.

Sora yells now, just a wordless cry of anger and grief. He charges forward, no though in his head other than getting retribution for his friends. Sa'luk blasts him, but he quickly raises Kingdom Key to intercept it. It doesn't take long for Sora to close the distance, swinging horizontally for the thug's torso.

Sa'luk leaps back, swinging his claw forward. Sora easily dodges, but has to sidestep when the thief's arm snaps up in another swipe. He's out of the claw's range, but Sa'luk's free hand grips his upper arm like a vice. Sora's lifted off his feet, thrown back through the air to land hard on the floor. The Keyblade clatters out of his hands and vanishes.

Sa'luk stands over the Keybearer, smiling triumphantly. The sight of his golden teeth sickens Sora, a grim reminder of his friends' fate. And his too in a moment, he supposes.

"It's too bad you won't get to watch the King of Fools and his spawn meet their makers," Sa'luk gloats. "But as a professional thief, I know well that no plan ever survives contact with the mark. And I get what I want, regardless of the order."

"Guess again, you treacherous filth!"

Surprised, Sa'luk whirls to see Aladdin and Cassim barreling toward him. Apparently in all the excitement with the Heartless and the sandstorm and the gloating, he hadn't even noticed the pair were free of their airless trap.

They barrel into him at full strength, bringing the thug down hard. Aladdin strikes at his arm, loosening Sa'luk's grip on his claw. Abu lets out a screech, carefully knocking the weapon out his hand. It slides across the marble floor, turning it all to gold as it goes.

Sora scrambles to his feet, quickly crossing to where the Agrabah natives now have their foe pinned down. He summons Kingdom Key to his hand, pointing the tip right at Sa'luk's nose. "How do you reverse the gold spell!"

Despite his current situation, the thug unleashes a hearty laugh. "Now why would I know anything about that, boy? I hope this was all worth losing your friends!"

For a moment, Sora is sorely tempted to end Sa'luk's life here and now. Certainly the bastard deserves it. But that won't bring his friends back, and may indeed hurt the cause more. Grunting frustratedly, the Keybearer pulls his blade back and turns away.

Cassim is saying something to Sa'luk now, possibly some kind of threat, but Sora doesn't notice. His gaze falls instead on the thug's abandoned claw. Iago is approaching it with a look on his eye that the Keybearer certainly doesn't appreciate.

"Get away from that thing," he orders the bird, who yelps and immediately leaps back. He's already babbling some kind of excuse, but Sora doesn't want to hear it at all. Instead, he finally allows himself to give in to the anger he's feeling. Channeling it all into his arm, the Keybearer brings his mystic weapon down on the claw.

It shatters, exploding with golden energy. Suddenly, the floor begins returning to ts previous state, fading back into regular marble. Noticing the effect, Sora looks across the room with hopeful eyes. Sure enough, Azlyn and Telary are returning to normal as well. They both fall to their knees, gasping for air.

He's about to go to them when he hears a scream. He turns to its source, just in time to watch Aladdin and Cassim quickly backpedaling away from Sa'luk. The thug is yelling his lungs out, a golden aura quickly surrounding his whole body. In no time at all, he's a frozen statue of solid gold once again.

Sora doesn't really care about that, immediately returning his attention to Azlyn and Telary. The knight is closest to him, the Keybearer quickly closing the gap and falling to his knees right beside her. Smiling, he wraps his friend up in a warm hug.

"I thought you were a goner there!" he proclaims.

"Yeah, well I wasn't," Azlyn replies, rolling her eyes as she pats him on the back. "If I had to go, though, I have to say that wouldn't have been a bad way to do it."

Telary has arrived by now, standing over the pair with a fond smile on his face. "Now why did I know you were going to say that? I assume you destroyed the talisman, Sora?" The Keybearer nods. "Yeah, I suspected that would do it."

"If you three are done being such big saps," Iago interrupts in his caustic voice, "mind telling us what exactly this was all about?"

"I guess it was a trap," Sora suggests, he and Azlyn rising to their feet. "Sa'luk was waiting for us here after all."

"Doesn't exactly seem like Mozenrath's style," Aladdin chimes in. "He's usually pretty big on plans. And gloating. If he wanted us dead here, he'd have been here to see it personally."

Abu comes running in from elsewhere, leaping up Aladdin's body and screeching loudly. Once he's got the group's attention, the monkey gestures to the hole in the wall left behind by the huge Heartless. Leaping off Al's shoulder, he runs back toward it. The group follow after him.

They emerge from the hole into some kind of study. Bookcases line the walls, along with shelves stuffed with all manner of containers and items. Several desks are set up as well, including one in the back corner that Abu goes to immediately. As the group approaches, Sora can make out a collection of bronze navigation equipment. Upon closer inspection, he sees a few large pieces of parchment scattered atop the desk as well. A leatherbound book sits on the edge as well, open to a page filled with writing in a language Sora doesn't recognize.

He does however, recognize a drawing on one of the parchments. A tiger's head, mouth open.

"Cave of Wonders?" Aladdin says, frowning at the picture. "Why would Mozenrath be interested in that place? There's no lamp any more."

"And the Keyhole's sealed," Sora adds. "Everything else is just illusions."

"As far as we know, yes," Telary chimes in. everyone turns to look at him, and he just shrugs in response. "What? It's a big mystic cave that can talk, changes its shape every time it's visited, and formerly contained two of this world's most important magical artifacts. Who knows what other secrets it might be hiding?"

"I guess you have a point," Sora concedes. "So much for this trip being a quick detour." He sighs, one inescapable conclusion forming in his mind. "Alright, I guess we're going to the Cave of Wonders."

" _Again_ ," Azlyn, Aladdin, and Iago all add at once.

**KH-KH-KH**

Steiner carefully balances the tray in his hand, trying his hardest not to drop it and put all his poison taste tests to waste. He knocks once on Laguna's bedroom door. There's no answer, but the sergeant does his best to keep the sudden flutter of worry in his heart in check. The president is probably just sleeping, like he's done most of the evening.

"Sir," Steiner calls softly as he opens the door. It takes some maneuvering, but he manages to push it aside with one hip to make a gap big enough to fit through. As he had suspected, the president lays in bed on his back, his chest lightly rising and falling. Fast asleep. Steiner steps closer, raising his voice considerably. "Sir, I have your dinner here. One-hundred percent tampering free, if you're wondering. I tried not to take too big of bites, I know you wouldn't like that."

The volume increases having proven itself useless, Steiner sets the tray on the bedside table. It takes a moment for him to get up enough gumption to push through his natural instincts and shake Laguna lightly on the shoulder. "Time to wake up. That doctor said you should do your best to eat as much as possible."

Nothing, the president remaining as peacefully unconscious as ever. Now Steiner is starting to allow himself a little worry. He tries shaking again, as hard as he dares. Nothing happens, except for the fact that he's officially starting to panic.

"Mr. President!" he yells, foregoing gentility and shaking the unconscious man with his full might. No reaction, not even the slightest twitch. Just a continued, blissful sleep. "Mr… Laguna, you have to wake up!"

"I'm afraid that won't be happening, Sergeant."

Steiner whirls toward the door, one hand immediately reach for his holstered pistol. When he sees Ardyn, calmly standing at the room's entrance with a tranquil look. He takes his hand away.

"What are you talking about, Chancellor?" he asks, doing all he can to keep his voice from shaking. "Do you know something about this?"

"Indeed I do, Sergeant," he replies, cool as ever. "As it happens, the president is in a herbally induced coma."

"Coma?" Steiner repeats, looking over Laguna once again. If it weren't for the fact that the president wasn't waking, he'd suspect absolutely nothing untoward. "But, he just looks like…"

"He's asleep, yes," Ardyn finishes for him, stepping closer. "And in a way, he is. I'm afraid, however, that you'll find this slumber rather difficult to break. Impossible, in fact, without the antidote."

"Antidote? But, people only need antidotes if they're…"

Once again, Ardyn completes the sergeant's thought. "Poisoned, yes. There would be several ways to do it, to my knowledge. Mixing a Black Chrysanthemum with Angel Root would be my guess. The first is a rather nasty poison, instantly lethal to any who ingest it. But, when administered right alongside the Angel Root, known for its healing properties, the effect would be lessened considerably. Thus, coma."

"That Aerith," Steiner says, pushing through his shock. "You said she had Angel Root this afternoon. Do you think she…?"

"Had the chrysanthemum mixed in? A logical deduction."

Steiner is silent for a long few moments, processing all this information fast as he can. It would seem all his growing suspicions are confirmed. Radiant Garden has laid low Bright Oasis's leader, their forces most likely standing ready to…

"But wait," he says after a minute's puzzling. "Why would…? I was watching the whole time, I saw it all. There's no way they'd try something so brazen. And what would they gain, anyway? A war they couldn't win? Either the city's leaders are much dumber than the appear, or…" The sergeant gasps, the only real possibility appearing in his mind. He looks at Ardyn, the chancellor standing much closer now than he was before.

"Or they were not involved at all," he finishes, not a trace of emotion on his face. "Making this situation a… Oh, what would be the most apt term? Ah yes, a framing. Creating a scapegoat. Igniting war in false pretenses. If you'd like more terms, I could…"

"You!" Steiner's hand flies to his holster, drawing the pistol waiting there in one smooth motion. He levels it with Ardyn, who regards the weapon as coolly as everything else. "You did this! You poisoned the president, which leaves you in charge! This is a coup!"

"Very good!" The chancellor finally shows some emotion, an incongruously large smile. "I had hoped you would be intelligent enough to figure it out. I feel a little poorly for having doubted you, actually."

"But why?" The pistol in Steiner's hand shakes, and he wraps his other hand around the gun's grip. "This is…"

"I understand you're quite shocked," Ardyn says, holding up one hand as if it will be enough to placate the soldier in front of him. "But perhaps you could allow me to explain myself, and then…"

" _Explain yourself_!" Steiner shouts, gun shaking furious for a few seconds. "How could you possibly think…? You killed…"

"Ah!" Ardyn interrupts, closing his right hand except for the pointer finger. "As I've said previously, the president is in a _coma_. You can see for yourself that he's still alive. And his condition needn't change for the worse. Eventually his feelings on the matter at hand will hardly matter for much, and the people seem to enjoy him so. Why waste a useful asset for a later date."

"What do you mean, 'matter at hand'? What's your plan here?"

The chancellor's smile widens. "Now you're asking the relevant questions, my friend."

Steiner scowls, still fighting his urge to shake. "Don't call me your friend."

"Forgive me, Sergeant. That was presumptuous of me." The chancellor finally puts his hands down, opting instead to simply fold both arms in front of his chest. As frightened and adrenaline-pumped as Steiner is, he can't help but admire the composure and strength of the pose. "Do you honestly think, Steiner, that this relationship between our city and Radiant Garden has any chance of improving Bright Oasis."

"It… It's…" Steiner takes a breath, forcing himself to focus, reminding himself of his military training and discipline. "It's not something we can ignore. Both cities have to occupy this world together."

"Interesting," Ardyn replies with a small nod, "how, even in a coma, Laguna manages to get you to regurgitate his little platitudes. Not that I wholly disagree with the statement. But why, exactly, is it necessary for the relationship to work as he wishes it to? If the president gets his way, we'd have two cities existing on equal terms. As if both of them have comparable merits. Pretending that one isn't in a position of clear superiority to the other. Superiority in more ways than one.

"Bright Oasis is strong, Sergeant. It always has been, it's always needed to be. That strength breeds character in its citizens, encourages them to maintain the order necessary to have that strength. You've professed that you admire that order. Do you think, Steiner, that Radiant Garden possesses that same character? That this half-resurrected ghoul of a city can match the discipline of our own society?"

"I…" Steiner says, lowering the barrel of his gun by scan inches.

"And _this man_ ," Ardyn gestures to the bed, Laguna still blissfully unaware, "wishes to infect our own city with the madness of this one. He admires the self-elected Restoration Committee who cannot even manage public opinion on their most venerated figure. Do you honestly think, Sergeant, that a man like that can maintain the standards of security our city has enjoyed for a decade? That he even wants to?"

Steiner opens his mouth, desperately attempting to force a response. This is treason, an open and shut case. He should be decrying the man in front of him, screaming for the rest of the troops to burst in and arrest him. But somehow, he can't.

Laguna is a nice man, there's no denying that. The people of Bright Oasis admire him for more than simply providing security. It isn't like it was under Vinzer Deiling. But there's more to effective leadership than likability, isn't there? Hard decisions have to be made, risks calculated. Is Laguna the kind of man who can do that.

"This is bigger than me," Steiner finally says, his gun lowered completely. "It's…"

"You have an important decision ahead of you," Ardyn says. Steiner looks up at him, shocked by the utter seriousness and intensity of the man's face. He's never seen anything like it before, on the chancellor or anyone. "What is truly important to you, Sergeant Adelbert Steiner of PSICOM? What are you willing to do for Bright Oasis? To bring order and stability to this entire world?"

What is he willing to do? This is wrong, Steiner knows it in his bones. But what is a wrong action, taken in the name of something that can only make things right? It's just as Ardyn says. What is Steiner willing to do for his city?

"You won't kill him," Steiner asks the chancellor, not sure if he's asking a question or giving an order. "Laguna doesn't die."

"No," Ardyn replies, small smile returning to his face. "Despite our heartless enemy's best efforts, we managed to save him just in time. One day, he'll awaken again. How he chooses to proceed from there, in the face of the world we're going to create, is entirely up to him. Personally, I imagine he'll be able to live with it."

"Not everyone is going to support this," the sergeant continues.

Ardyn shrugs. "Of course not, we both know enough about the masses to know that's impossible. But I doubt anyone will take issue as long as we confine our most extreme actions to Radiant Garden. It's so difficult to maintain a care for somewhere you've never been, never seen."

"Rinoa. She won't…"

"What she will or won't do is irrelevant. I'm afraid our former rabble rouser had an unfortunate accident on the way back to Bright Oasis. How unpredictable the wilderness is, hm?"

A pang of guilt hits Steiner at that thought. He'd never much cared for Ms. Heartilly, but he hardly wished that kind of fate on her.

"It had to be done," Ardyn says, his voice strong and clear. Certain. Looking up, Steiner sees that he once again wears his expression of intense focus.

"Maybe," the sergeant allows, ignoring the churning in his stomach at the idea. It doesn't stop, not even close, but within a few moments it no longer consumes his focus. Hard decisions. For Bright Oasis.

Had Vinzer Deiling had the same thought?

"Tomorrow, the Restoration Committee is venturing into Xehanort's lab," Ardyn says, completely ignoring the sergeant's clear crisis. "I assume Leonhart will be in the party, and the young Keyblade wielders. The perfect opportunity for containment. Colonel Nabaat will have the necessary forces to subdue the rest of the city here by then. Hopefully, with their strongest defensive assets unavailable, the city's forces will see the sense in an early retreat."

"You're moving fast," Steiner notes, a bit numbly.

"Frankly, that boy Sora worries me most of all," Ardyn admits, frowning just slightly. "The more we can accomplish before he returns, with more strong help I understand, the better. I'll need to make the call to PSICOM tonight. You'll help verify my story, I trust? The president's poisoners?"

"Radiant Garden," the sergeant answers.

"The Restoration Committee. There's a certain faction of disgruntled citizenry that have pledged to assist us in a smooth transition of power. Much more amenable to my demands. As long as the Restoration Committee leaders are surrendered, things can continue as close to normal in the city as possible." The chancellor grins at his conspirator. "Better, in fact."

Steiner nods. "Better," he repeats. Said with enough conviction, he can make himself believe it's actually true.


	11. Wonders Never Cease

"Now, explain this cave to me again?" Cassim asks the group. His deep voice is amazingly steady, considering how out-of-his-element the older man is. He'd argued against everyone jumping on to Carpet, preferring a horse as per usual, but Aladdin had been able to talk him on by making him understand their urgency. "As King of Thieves, I naturally heard legends, but I never knew anyone who actually visited the place."

They fly through the desert at twilight, the half-set sun casting an orange glow over everything from the expanse of fine sand below to the occasional dunes the group pass by. It would a be rather peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, were circumstances different.

"It's where I found Genie, Dad," Aladdin explains without looking back. As per usual the former street rat crouches on his knees at the front of Carpet, the rushing wind whipping his dark hair away from his face. "His lamp was hidden there. Apparently that's where he went in-between masters."

"Are the rest of the stories true, then?" Cassim continues, inching forward with undisguised excitement. "Mountains of treasure, gold and jewels beyond a man's wildest dreams?"

Azlyn snorts. "Yeah, there's stuff alright. Turns out though, whoever built the place is _way_ into the whole 'real value is underneath' theme. Everything in there's all just rocks with some fancy illusion cast on 'em."

"Just waiting for some dimwit to nab all they can carry," Sora adds with a chuckle. The memory of Azlyn's face as she opened a bag full of rocks when she was expected gold has always been good for brightening his spirits.

The knight is less amused by that memory than he, treating her friend to her best scowl. "Yeah, whatever."

"Of course, there's something much more important hidden inside as well," Telary chimes in, ignoring his companions' silent staredown. "This world's Keyhole. It's a passage to the world's heart, and the Heartless could use it to to infiltrate and destroy the world."

Cassim's eyes go wide. " _Destroy_?"

"Oh yeah, it's a big deal," Sora replies as nonchalantly as he can. It's not easy, with the jungle's destruction still fresh in his mind. And of course he'll most likely never be truly over what happened to Destiny Islands all those years ago. "But that's where I come in. I can use the Keyblade to 'lock' a world's heart. Once that's done, the Heartless can't get in to do squat."

That seems to satisfy the former King of Thieves. But not everyone. "And that's what I just _don't_ get here," Iago declares with his usual loud squawking. "The treasure's fake, the hole's closed for business… Why would a major league sorcerer like Mozenrath be interested in that place?"

Sora shrugs. "I can't think of anything either."

"Well, who knows?" Telary adds, thoughtfully scratching his chin. "Keep in mind, this is a place so densely packed with magic that it can actively transmogrify itself down to the tiniest detail. There could very well still be something in there worth getting."

"Just putting this out there," Azlyn says. "Did anyone happen to, I dunno, actually _read_ what was on all that stuff Mozenrath had lying around? Mighta been a clue in there, now that I think about it."

No one replies. Mostly because nobody really has a very good excuse.

"We're coming up on the spot," Aladdin announces. He points to where a giant-sized tiger head pokes out of the sand. Light spills from its open mouth, and its two eyes are illuminated in bright violet as well.

"Well, it's no giant turtle," Cassim jokes.

"Huh," Telary says, frowning. "Did it always look so angry?"

The Cave of Wonders rears back, opening its mouth wide and unleashing a roar that shakes the stone cliffs surrounding it on three sides, and seemingly the rest of the desert as well. Fixing its gaze on the fast-approaching heroes, it unleashes two blasts of energy from its eyes.

Carpet swerves to avoid them, though one passes close enough for the passengers to feel its radiating heat. They've all just barely recovered when they're attacked once again. One of the blasts manages to graze Carpet's underside, the sentient rug quickly losing altitude.

Sora, Azlyn, and Aladdin jump off mid-fall, Iago following them down on his own wings. Cassim and Telary aren't quite as quick, barely managing to roll to safety as Carpet makes impact with the ground. It slides forward several feet, leaving a wide trough of sand behind in its wake.

The Cave launches another pair of shots, Azlyn grabbing her shield and deflecting them in one smooth move. But more energies are already bearing down on the group. Telary pulls Cassim out of the way of one, the other coming for Sora. The Keybearer spins his blade, sending the shot harmlessly into the desert sand.

"Is Carpet okay?" Sora screams to Telary, who's closest to the sentient rug.

"Um, it's moving around," the wizard calls back. He reaches out to brush a pile of sand off Carpet's back. "But I don't think it's going to be flying high any time soon."

"Do you think we can take out those eyes?" Aladdin asks, wincing as Azlyn bats away another energy blast.

"Not if we can't get up there," Cassim adds, shaking his head.

"Maybe we won't need to use Carpet," Sora suggests, smacking another blast away from himself.

"I am _so_ not offering to carry anybody!" Iago declares with a firm shake of his head.

"No, that's not what I meant! If we can keep it distracted, maybe someone could climb up and…"

The Cave of Wonders roars again, inky black darkness appearing in its mouth. From the shadows come a swarm of Heartless, batlike Flutterings accompanied by a group of Neoshadows. The creatures waste no time on charging after the heroes. And of course, two more globs of energy expel from the sand tiger's eyes.

"Try it out," Azlyn encourages the Keybearer, shield up and ready for a Neoshadow to fiercely slam into it. "We got your distraction!"

Everyone in the party goes to work against the Heartless. Telary uses flame and ice spells to keep the airborne enemies off everyone's backs, while Azlyn and Aladdin do their best to hold back the ground-bound Heartless. Not to be outdone, Cassim grabs the nearest rock and chucks it upward, knocking a Fluttering clean out of the air.

Sora takes advantage, making his way toward the cave entrance. Funnily enough, the cloud of Flutterings is actually what's giving him this opportunity. It covers most of the main battle, leaving only a few uncovered feet between him and the closest cliff. He makes the dash as fast as he can, quickly pressing his body close to the stone and thanking the Good Fairies for making his outfit black and easily camouflaged. Steadying himself, Sora begins shimmying along the cliff face.

It's not easy, and he isn't moving very quickly, but the lack of dark energies coming his way give the Keybearer satisfaction that the plan is working. Who says he never thinks things through?

A rock slips beneath his right foot, falling down and smacking against the cliffside several times on the way down. Sora watches it fall, completely still except for a wince every time the tumbling stone makes a noise. Hopefully it's not too much, and he can continue his climb unnoticed.

Except not quite. The Cave of Wonders perks up, the lights in its eyes turning bright. The head begins to turn, and Sora starts booking it across the cliff. He's so close now, all he has to do is get in a few more feet…

He jumps, just as twin orbs of violet energy are expelled from the Cave of Wonders' eyes. They quickly curve around, tracking Sora as he moves through the air. One misses wide, but the other is so close the Keybearer can feel the greasy, nauseating energy of dark power radiating off it. He shuts his eyes, ignoring as best as he can so he can pull off his goal…

Sora hits the Cave of Wonders' head hard. Luckily, even the tightly-packed magical sand that makes up the cave entrance has just enough give to keep him from injuring himself. Feeling himself begin to slide, Sora summons the Keyblade and sinks its crown-shaped teeth into the sand beside him. After a shaky moment and a little more digging in with both the blade and his heels, he manages to stop his fall. The tiger's head roars, though it's unclear whether it's feeling actual pain from the Keyblade, or it's just frustrated that there's a hanger-on.

Sora doesn't have time to think about that. He jumps both feet off the sand, pulling himself upward with the Keyblade. Six or so feet higher, the Keybearer sinks his weapon into the Cave of Wonders once again. Right at the spot where the top of the head begins to curve back, Sora lets go of his blade and climbs to more-or-less even ground. He summons the Keyblade back to his hand, making his way forward to the guardian's eye.

The tiger head doesn't make it easy. It thrashes about violently, roaring and rearing back. Sora makes use of the Keyblade again, plunging it into the sand to steady himself. Step by step, he manages to make it over to the edge of the forehead.

The guardian tosses its head left and right. Not the desperate flailing of before, but a final, concerted effort to shake loose the Keyblade wielding parasite. Sora moves as fast as he can to plunge his blade into the sand, but it's too late. He falls backwards, right of the Cave of Wonders, and goes tumbling through the air.

He's not unduly worried, considering it's just sand he'll be falling in. In fact, Sora is far more angry at the moment. All that planning, and this is the big outcome? Maybe he should just stick to pure impulse instead.

Too busy resolving himself to recklessness, Sora isn't prepared to hit solid ground in the slightest. He impacts against the sand, surprised by just how soft it is. In fact, the sand seems to be giving a lot more than he'd suspected it would, sinking almost a foot. It isn't until he's springing upwards once again that he realizes it wasn't sand he'd landed on at all.

Until he finds himself planted facefirst in a fairly large drift. Quickly pulling his face up, Sora sees something that momentarily makes him wonder if he hadn't done some damage. A large trampoline is set up a few feet away. A large _blue_ trampoline.

Sora gets it just in time for the trampoline to transmogrify itself into Genie's usual form. Despite the circumstances of the moment, the big blue lug is grinning ear-to-ear.

"Some catch, eh Sora?" he says, zipping over to the Keybearer. A blast of dark energy comes the genie's way, but he merely reaches out and swats it aside. An umbrella appears in his right hand, providing protection from any further blasts. "I've been wanting to pull that gag for months!"

"What are you doing here Genie?" Sora asks.

"I could tell something was up at the Cave of Wonders," Genie explains. "Me and this place are kinda connected in a weird way, I always know when something's going down. Why did you think I showed up here so soon after you accessed it last year? Plot contrivance?"

Genie doesn't allow Sora time to answer. "Oh, and before you get on me about not doing what you said, I brought Jasmine along with me."

Looking over to the rest of the group, still fighting off Heartless, Sora can see that Agrabah's princess is among them. She really thought ahead too, as the swords she and Aladdin use to cut through Neoshadows must have come with her from the palace.

"Have any ideas about this thing?" Sora asks, gesturing with his thumb to the still raging Cave of Wonders. The new impotency of its attacks is making it all the more frustrated.

"Whatever's got a hold of this guy is running deep," Genie declares, thoughtfully looking over the sand tiger. A pair of wide-brimmed spectacles appear on his face. "Ah, but look where's it leaking out. Eyes don't lie, kiddo. That's what we gotta take out. Your Keyblade should do the trick!"

"Can you get me up there?"

"Pft!" Genie flattens himself out into a blue surfboard, grinning up at Sora. "Let's hang ten, my dude!"

Sora jumps on Genie, batting away a pair of dark blasts. They lift off, swerving through the air to confuse their target. The guardian fires another pair of blasts, but Genie just turns sideways like he's surfing a choice wave. The turn moves into a flip, and Sora jumps off to land on the sand tiger's nose.

He plunges the Keyblade forward, tip first, into the closest eye. The Cave of Wonders roars its displeasure, the violet light flowing from its socket turning to bright white. The other eye fires a blast, but Sora's already moving toward it, spinning past the dark energy. Planting his feet, the Keybearer stabs once again, to the same result.

He loses his footing almost immediately, the Cave of Wonders shaking and roaring harder than ever. Sora tries to hang on to the Keyblade, but a particularly violent thrust forward proves just too much. He falls backwards off the sand tiger once again, but luckily Genie is there to catch him just like last time. Landing on the Genie-surfboard's hard surface is pretty different from the sand, but Sora's confident there's nothing to fear but a little bruising.

Genie is happy to have caught his friend, but he really could do without Sora's elbow digging into his face. Still, he does his best to gently deposit him on the sand.

Everyone else joins the pair, looking up as the Cave of Wonders slowly settles itself down. It continues to shake and shudder for a few minutes, but eventually the guardian manages to be still.

"Uh, hi!" Sora yells up at it, not quite sure what he's thinking he'll accomplish. "Sorry about, y'know, stabbing you and everything. I did it to help!"

"And you did," the sand tiger replies in its booming, guttural voice. "My spirit was corrupted, and you have cleansed me. Enter, Keybearer. Punish those who did this to me, for I am unable." With that, the Cave of Wonders simply opens its mouth wide and goes perfectly still.

"I assume Mozenrath was behind this, too?" Jasmine asks.

Sora nods. "Yeah, I guess he's got some kinda plan for it."

"Which we aren't gonna stop by standing around out here," Azlyn points out, marching towards the cave with her usual confidence.

"Corrupting the guardian must have taken some serious power," Telary points out as they all begin making their way down the long, curving stairway.

Before anyone else can venture an opinion, Genie lets out a very loud hiccup. Rather surprised, everyone in the stairway turns to him with quizzical looks. Especially since the big blue lug's belch has spontaneously produced a group of songbirds.

"Uh, sorry about that," he apologizes, one hand placed demurely over his mouth. "It just kinda snuck up on… _Hyiccup!_ " Now he's a little blue crocodile. Another hiccup, and suddenly Genie's back to normal, except for the second head growing out of his neck.

"Um, are you okay there?" Aladdin feels he has to ask.

"Right as rain!" Right-Head Genie answers confidently.

"Never better in my life!" Left-Head Genie agrees.

Both heads hiccup, and suddenly he's a tree.

"I somehow doubt that," Iago declares.

Poofing back to his normal form, Genie looks himself over with a deep frown on his face. "Maybe you've got a point there. This has never happened to me before!"

"Is it the cave?" Jasmine asks. "This is the first time you've come here since you were set free, right?"

"Come to think of it, it is!" Genie concurs. Then he hiccups again, shrinking into the form of a blue wiener dog.

"Maybe the cave has some kind of power over you," Telary posits. "Like, a psychological effect or something. After all, you _were_ imprisoned down here for a long, long time."

"So what exactly does that mean?" Cassim impatiently inquires.

"I hate to say it," Genie says, returning to his default form after a momentary struggle, "but I think it might be best if you all went on without me. I…" Another hiccup transforms Genie into a human-sized flyswatter. "I might be something of a buzzkill."

"It's alright Genie," Aladdin assures his big blue buddy. "We can handle Mozenrath fine on our own, right guys?"

"Won't be a problem at all," Sora concurs, forcing an optimistic smile.

"This is just freaking me out too much," Azlyn chimes in, Telary wincing at his wife's callousness.

"Okay, I'll go," Genie replies with a huge sigh. "Good luck, I'll be waiting for ya on the outside!"

"Maybe one of us should stay with him," Iago suggests, batting his eyes as innocently as possible. "Y'know, just keep an eye on the big guy while you all charge recklessly into danger?"

"Are you a parrot, or a chicken?" Cassim grumbles to his partner in crime. Abu chatters his own insults at the bird.

Of course, Iago isn't fazed. He simply crosses his wings and declares, "Well excuse _me_ for being a concerned friend!"

The group continues down into the cave, minus Genie. Iago decides to follow everyone else, after weighing the options before him properly. Even if he's in more danger by going into the cave, at least there are multiple potential targets other than him. Out in the desert with Genie, he'll be the big blue lug's only source of entertainment.

"You said this cave reconfigures itself every time you enter, correct?" Cassim asks as they begin to reach the stairway's bottom.

Sora nods. "Yeah. And it's pretty different every time I think. So when we get into the chambers, just be prepared for anything, alright?"

Everyone agrees to be at their most vigilant, ready and alert for all possibilities. Will the Cave of Wonders throw another gauntlet of illusions at the group, or perhaps go for a direct physical challenge to hinder progress to the treasure room? There's simply no way of knowing, leaving everyone to just expect the unexpected.

Which is precisely why they don't see it coming.

The chamber before them is large, its brown stone floor, pedestals and pillars looking almost orange in the light of several flickering torches. That's only half the room's story though. The rest of the place is nothing but an empty pit stretching down into an impenetrable darkness.

Cassim and Jasmine, unaware of anything out of the ordinary continue to walk into the room and take it all in. Everyone else, though, examines the place with matching expressions of concern. The former King of Thieves is the first to notice he and Agrabah's princess aren't being followed.

"What are you all gawking at?" he demands, turning to face his son and the others with a frown. "Seems rather a tame layout to me. I've pulled off heists in places that looked ten times as daunting."

"It does seem…" Jasmine agrees, struggling for a moment to find the proper description. "Less than fantastic."

"That may be so, Jasmine," Aladdin tells his wife in a quiet voice.

"But more importantly…" Telary chimes in.

"It looks exactly the same," Sora finishes. "Just like it did when I sealed the Keyhole."

**KH-KH-KH**

Mozenrath studies the Keyhole, or at least where it _used_ to be, carefully. He's really putting all his focus into that singular spot, if only to try and block out the noise of Pete, working at an almost frantic pace behind him. But, no matter how he tries, the sorcerer simply cannot.

Giving up, he turns to watch the lumbering oaf putting together his machine. It's basically a tower, a little over six feet tall and supported by a trio of metal struts. At its summit is a dish of about three feet in diameter. At the moment, Pete is trying to untangle a cord that will attach at the machine's base. The big guy is really struggling, making all sorts of unseemly noises in his desperate attempt to get the thing straightened out.

"Need a hand with any of that?" Mozenrath asks with as much condescension as he can muster. Pete doesn't answer for several seconds, so finally the sorcerer just waves his gauntlet in the oaf's direction. The cable unravels, whipping up and smashing into Pete's face.

"D'oh, now what's the big idea with that?" Maleficent's minion protests, rubbing the red streak forming across the exact middle of his face.

"You take so _long_!" Xerxes declares, his long grey body drooping.

"And I'm still not exactly sure what you think you're going to accomplish," Mozenrath adds. "I've thrown my most powerful spells at this thing, and all for naught. The Keyhole is sealed up tightly."

"I know that," Pete says, turning around and hooking up one end of the cable directly into the tower's base. "In fact, I know a whole lot more about Maleficent's plan than you do, so why dontcha just shut your yap and let me work!"

"You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me," Mozenrath reminds him, clenching his fist tight.

"Yeah!" Xerxes chimes in, flying up to hover above his master's shoulder. "Only Mozenrath knew how to get the Genie-magic to make this place show up like you wanted it to. Without him, you'd be…"

The eel's rant is interrupted by a sudden burst of noise from the R'ub X cube. The villains turn and notice the subtle red glow surrounding it. "Intruders," Mozenrath concludes. "Our intrepid heroes, do you think?"

Pete scowls. "Yeah, if I had to guess. Funny how they'd know to come here, considerin' I didn't leave any hints. I wonder who coulda…?"

"Yes, yes," Mozenrath interrupts, rolling his eyes. "I suppose I should have been tidier with my notes. Still, at least now I can have the satisfaction of killing Aladdin with my own two hands." He holds up his gauntlet, chuckling. "Or, well, my own _hand_ , as it were."

"If that's what ya wanna do," Pete says, shrugging. Grabbing the cable's other end, he starts lumbering over to the Keyhole. "I ain't gonna stop ya. Got a few Heartless out there that might soften 'em up for ya."

"Appreciated," Mozenrath replies, though his returned eye roll suggests otherwise. The sorcerer floats up into the air, hovering out of the chamber and towards his foes.

Pete watches him go for a moment, sneering. For all his big time posturing about how smart he is, that Mozenrath is certainly taking the most foolish of risks here and now. Well, at least it'll save him and Maleficent the trouble of screwing him over later. And even if the guy decides to talk, it's not like he has any idea of what's _really_ going on.

**KH-KH-KH**

"Just hang on a second!" Azlyn calls down to Jasmine. She's got the princess's hand in both of hers, holding tightly to make sure she doesn't drop into the blackness below. Azlyn thinks she remembers something about their being water down there, but at the moment she's not looking to take any chances.

Behind her, everyone else battles Heartless. They'd managed to get through the first chamber without incident, but of course it hadn't been long before they were embroiled in a battle with dark forces. It's been a running fight since then, made considerably difficult by the traps that have sprung up throughout the journey.

What had specifically gotten Jasmine into her current predicament was a powerful jet of water unleashed by some kind of carving on the wall. It had hit the Princess of Heart head on while she was swatting down an Air Soldier.

Azlyn hears the sound of flapping wings behind her, but it's only a heartbeat later that a sudden burst of heat tells her that Telary's taken care of the situation. Her husband, everybody! Speaking of, it's time to get Jasmine back to her own. With a burst of strength, Azlyn hauls her friend back to solid ground.

A loud rushing sound fills the chamber, followed quickly by a splash. Reaching out her arm, Azlyn manages to stop Sora before he goes flying over the edge as well. She turns, ignoring the soaking Keybearer and hurling her shield at the wall spout. It crumbles into rubble, giving the knight a welcome rush of satisfaction.

"Everybody okay?" Telary asks, carefully counting up the responses of everyone present.

"HERE!" Iago squawks, unfortunately right into the wizard's ear.

"I know," Telary responds evenly. "You've been on my shoulder pretty much this whole time."

"This doesn't seem so bad," Cassim comments as the group gets moving again. The door to the next chamber isn't far. "Aside from those creatures, getting in here wouldn't have been a problem for the Forty Thieves back in my day."

"It's also pretty easy to just bypass all this," Sora agrees. "The first time me, Azlyn, and Telary came here, we fell right into one of those pits. There's a bunch of caverns under there that still lead pretty much right to the treasure."

"Speaking of…" Azlyn notes as they walk through the doorway and into a golden glow.

The Treasure Room is just as vast as the knight remembers, piles and piles of golden coins everywhere she looks. The hoard seems to provide its own light, gleaming without the assistance of any torches. Hidden in each pile are dozens of gemstones, statues, and exquisite pieces of jewelry.

"By Allah…" Cassim mutters, stepping past the group and taking the place in with a gaping mouth. "There must be more treasure here than…"

"All fake, Dad," Aladdin reminds his father, gently touching his arm.

"Well yes, of course," the former King of Thieves says, scratching at the back of his neck. "I _know_ that. Of course I know that."

"I'm sure Azlyn had to remind herself of that too," Sora says, grinning playfully. He himself isn't particularly dazzled, even if he didn't know the truth of this loot. Riches have just never been a high priority for the Keybearer. "If I don't watch my back, she could end up trading me in. Again."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the knight declares, her nose in the air as she walks forward. "I no longer lust for the material, Sora. I've seen the, y'know, error of my ways or whatever."

"But you _do_ still keep that full munny pouch on you," Telary points out to his wife. "I've seen you take it out and sniff it. Several times."

"Just a little pick-me up every now and again," Azlyn says. "I'm still human. There's still a part of me that wants to go swimming on coins again."

"Swimming?" Iago repeats, giving the knight an inquisitive look. Abu seems quite interested as well. "You actually _swam_ in munny?"

"Okay, that was actually impressive to see," Sora says, remembering the even with a small smile.

"We're getting distracted, guys," Aladdin reminds the group. With Jasmine's hand in his, he moves to the head of the group. "We've gotta be on the lookout for Mozenrath. He could…"

A large burst of magical energy sails over the gold piles, arching toward the heroes. They scatter, working on instinct and reflexes built up from years or sticky situations. Mozenrath appears moments later, hovering above them. His gauntlet is still glowing with arcane power.

"Annihilate you all before you had a chance to figure out what was going on?" the smug sorcerer suggests, grinning like the maniac he is. "I don't often agree with you, Aladdin, but I must say that this is one instance in which I do completely."

He starts firing off energy blasts again, forcing the group to scatter even further. As the heroes run, Heartless begin emerging from the gold piles and giving chase. Azlyn, Telary, Abu, Cassim, and Iago find a spot to stand their ground, the knight knocking away another of Mozenrath's blasts while the others start fending off Bandits.

Sora knocks an attack away, covering for Aladdin and Jasmine's run up a gold pile. If Mozenrath is going to insist on hovering, they'll need to find a way to get decently airborne. The sorcerer deduces their strategy easily enough, a well-placed blast of power destabilizing the tower of coins. The couple fall as their surface shifts, sending them back to the ground.

Reasonably sure that his friends will land on their feet, or at least not sustain too much damage, Sora starts in on the exact opposite trajectory. He sprints up the collapsing pile, maintaining his forward momentum no matter what. The "ground" is slippery beneath him, but the Keybearer has dealt with situations like this plenty of times.

Finally, he reaches a high enough point and jumps, Keyblade held high to swing down on Mozenrath. The floating villain dodges to one side, blasting Sora as he falls back down. The Keybearer twists his blade to deflect the blast, then his body to minimize impact force. He lands neatly, crouching to arrest some of the force. When he straightens, it's with one arm held back to hurl the Keyblade upward.

Mozenrath isn't ready, the attack catching him right on his gauntlet. The mystical glove flashes upon contact with the magical blade. Mozenrath hisses, grabbing the gauntlet with his other hand and floating higher and further away.

"Got him!" Sora says, summoning the Keyblade back to his hand in a burst of white light. "He seems really particular about that glove of his."

"He would," Aladdin concurs, a thoughtful look forming on his face. "Mozenrath's gauntlet gives him incredible power, but there's a price. Using it actually drains his life force."

"Some price," Sora says with a grimace. What is it with villains and shrugging off dire consequences?

"A problem that I assure you will not vex me much longer." Mozenrath hovers over Sora, Aladdin, and Jasmine. He's smiling again, an aura of power around his body. "Once I've given Maleficent what she wants, she'll give me enough vitality to live forever, gauntlet or no!"

"Yeah, sure!" Azlyn calls out, arriving on the scene with her husband, Cassim, and the animals. "Because those bad guys _always_ give you exactly what you want!"

"What _does_ Maleficent want, anyway?" Telary chimes in. "Just while we're on the subject."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that if I were you," Mozenrath declares, more teeth appearing in his growing grin. "Why have your last thoughts be troubled!"

The sorcerer raises his right hand, and all the treasure of the Cave of Wonders rises along with it. Cackling, he drops his arm, gold and jewels falling towards the heroes in a sweeping wave of glittering death.

They turn and run, hoping to escape being crushed by the wave. It sweeps against Cassim and Telary first, the group's slowest members falling beneath the horde. Telary begins muttering something as they fall, but neither Azlyn nor Sora hear it despite being the closest. They're swept up next, Azlyn grabbing Sora's arm in an iron-solid grip.

Somehow, Aladdin and Jasmine manage to escape. The tide slows to a stop just a few feet from the rooms entrance, the future royal couple of Agrabah just barely in the safe zone. Mozenrath stops right in front of them. He gestures to Jasmine, and the princess finds herself suddenly floating in his direction.

"Mozenrath!" Aladdin charges forward, but gold bursts from the horde like a geyser. It slams into the former street rat's chest and sends him to the floor.

"I've heard stories about you, Jasmine," Mozenrath says, regarding her with a leer. "Not only a princess in Agrabah, but a Princess of Heart too. My, my, Aladdin really doesn't deserve you, does he?"

Jasmine takes a swing at him, right in his smug face. He reels back, but she remains in his mystical grip. Only now both arms are pulled down to the princess's sides.

"Not very pure-hearted of you, I must say!"

"Not when you couple it with what I'm _thinking_ about you right now," Jasmine snarls.

"Is she this mouthy to you, Aladdin?" Mozenrath asks his nemesis. The former street rat doesn't respond, too busy throwing off the treasure that his him pinned. "Ah, valiantly resisting to the last. All that glitters is quite heavy, don't you think?"

"You're right about that, Mozenrath," Aladdin admits. For some reason, he's smiling. "But wrong too."

Before the sorcerer can adequately process that statement, Azlyn bursts out of the pile of gold behind him, like a dolphin breaking through the waves. She slams into his back, throwing his concentration off. The spell around Jasmine dissipates, the Princess of Heart taking swift advantage. As she falls back to the ground, she grabs Mozenrath's gauntlet in both hands and tugs it off.

"No!"

"Jasmine!" Sora calls, from where he himself has just popped out of the gold. Behind him, Cassim, Telary, Iago, and Abu emerge as well, treasures sliding off the magical barrier the wizard had erected to keep them safe. "Toss it… Yikes!"

The Keybearer can't help but stare at Mozenrath, specifically the hand where he'd worn his gauntlet. No flesh or muscle remains upon the limb, just stark white bones. It seems his magic really did come at a steep price.

Azlyn doesn't seem to care about her friend's sudden discomfort, hurtling the magical gauntlet towards him. It lands loudly on the coins in front of Sora, who raises his Keyblade high in a two-handed grip.

"No, stop!" Mozenrath calls out, rushing through the treasure. But without the means to float over, he's simply too slow.

Xerxes makes a game attempt at it, but Iago is quickly on hand to keep the flying eel from reaching the gauntlet either. With no one to stop him, Sora lets his blade fall like the axe of an executioner.

The gauntlet shatters on contact, the mystical energy within exploding upward in a geyser of many-colored energies. Sora is knock right off his feet, wincing as he lands on the hard coins.

Mozenrath just drops to his knees, mouth agape as he stares at what used to be the source of his powers. "No," he says in a small voice, scrambling towards the pieces. Despite its skeletal state, his right arm seems to work just fine. He gathers a few shards of the gauntlet in his hands, cradling them like a fallen friend.

"Hey, Mozenrath," Aladdin says, cautiously approaching his nemesis, "maybe this is a blessing in disguise. I mean, that thing was _literally_ killing you!"

Mozenrath rises and whirls toward the former street rat, fists clenched. "Not," he declares through grinding teeth, "as literally as I'm going to kill you, Aladdin! You and all your little friends had better watch your backs. Because I _will_ return, Aladdin. And when I do, it will be with enough power to make you suffer _forever_ for what you've done to me!" The sorcerer surrounds himself in dark power, the energy transporting him away from the Cave of Wonders and Agrabah itself.

"He certainly knows how to make an exit, doesn't he?" Cassim comments, perhaps a bit too casual for the situation at hand.

"I'm more concerned with what he was doing here in the first place," Sora declares. "C'mon, let's check out the lamp chamber just in case."

**KH-KH-KH**

Sounds of struggle cease emanating from the treasure chamber, which tells Pete he needs to hurry things up as much as he can. While still remaining appropriately careful, of course. Maleficent will _not_ take kindly to any foul-ups.

He tugs the cable once, making sure it's secure. The metallic cord has plenty of give, but the claw that has it set into the wall where the Keyhole once stood shows no signs of separating. His last test complete, Pete moves to the small keyboard extending from the tower and begins typing in the commands to activate his machine. As it begins to boot up, he reaches to the technological gauntlet fixed to his left arm and opens a line of communication with his mistress.

Maleficent's image springs forth, looking haughty and imperious as ever. "Ah, you've completed it then."

"Oh yes ma'am," Pete confirms, nodding his head once in deference. His respect given, the fat cat turns to his machine. "It's coming online right now. Just give it a few seconds."

As he speaks, the dish at the tower's peak begins turning in slow circles. The entire machine vibrates as energy courses through it. Pete looks down at the small screen, smiling as he sees that every indicator is showing positives.

"Well?" Maleficent demands, making her minion nearly jump out of his skin. But when he turns to face her, Pete's glad to see that she's speaking to someone offscreen on her end. When the witch turns back to Pete, she's actually smiling. "It seems the test is a success. Sora and his band are due to arrive any moment, I suspect?"

Pete nods. He can almost hear the footsteps now, growing closer with every passing second. "Ya want I should try and…"

"There's no need to engage them," Maleficent says. "Everything worked just as we hypothesized. Destroy the machine and return to the castle. Best if they never even know you were there."

"Are ya sure about that?" Pete asks sheepishly. "I mean, we went to an awful lotta trouble just to…"

"This was only a test," his mistress declares, her voice cold as the deepest winter. "That is all it was ever meant to be. Now that we have proof of our concept, best not to leave our enemy with any clues."

"Of course, Your Evilness." Though it sends a bit of a pain through his heart, Pete turns to the machine. He draws a small red orb from his pouch attaching it securely to the tower. Once he's certain it's sticking, he presses the button to activate. A glow of dark red surrounds the machine, quickly dissolving everything within its aura. Within a heartbeat, nothing is left behind.

"Return to base, Peter," Maleficent repeats, her imagine winking out of existence. Pete summons a dark portal, and soon he is gone as well. The Cave of Wonders' Keyhole chamber stands empty as Sora and his cohorts push open the room's doors.

"Hello!" Azlyn calls out. "Anybody in here who needs a butt-whooping?"

"Nobody?" Cassim says, looking over the chamber with his practiced thief's eye just in case.

"And nothing," Iago concurs, giving the place his own once-over from higher up.

"Maybe Mozenrath had already completed whatever it was he was doing when he came out to face us?" Jasmine suggests.

"I don't know," Telary says, starting a circuit around the room's perimeter. "Something about the way he came after us made me think we were being stalled."

Sora doesn't offer any suggestions, heading straight to the room's far end. With Aladdin by his side, he climbs up the platform where Agrabah's Keyhole once appeared, all those years ago. It's long gone now, of course, only a tall expanse of stone roughly shaped to resemble what once was.

"Doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary," he says, frowning.

"I dunno, Sora," Aladdin chimes in, gripping the younger man's shoulder and pointing to a few spots on the wall. "Look there, and there, and there."

"Holes," the Keybearer says, peering at the spots with greater scrutiny himself now. Indeed, a trio of gouges exists within the stone. They all seem equidistant, equally sized, and positioned in a roughly triangular pattern. No power shines through, nothing to set them immediately apart.

"Huh," says Telary, who apparently climbed the platform while Sora was preoccupied. "Wonder what that's all about."

"Yeah," Sora softly concurs, "I wonder."

**KH-KH-KH**

It isn't long until they're back in the gardens of Agrabah's palace, gathered at the Gummi ship beneath the night sky and its glowing stars. Sora can't tell just by looking, but in his heart he's keenly aware that one less star is shining this night.

"Sorry we couldn't make any headway on what Mozenrath was doing," Aladdin apologizes. He, Genie, and Jasmine stand before the offworld trio. Iago and Cassim said their goodbyes back at the Cave of Wonders, already off on their next adventure.

Sora shrugs. "Hey, we did what we could."

"At least Mozenrath can't use that gauntlet to terrorize us or Agrabah again," Jasmine points out.

"Without that thing on his arm, I doubt the guy could pull a rabbit out of a hat," Genie declares, donning a back cape and performing just that feat. "Oh boy, I wish I coulda seen the look on that mook's face! Try and feed me to a mukhtar, will ya?"

"Long story," Aladdin explains under his breath.

"Well, despite how it ended up happening, it was really good to see you again, Aladdin," Sora says with a nonchalant shrug.

"And thanks again for letting us use your garden to repair our ship," Telary says, slapping the Gummi's hull.

"Though I'd be surprised if we didn't spend just as much time on this misadventure as we would've flying back to Radiant Garden regular," Azlyn points out. Her husband gives her and admonishing look, but she only shrugs it off.

"It's good to see you guys too," Aladdin says sincerely. "Feel free to drop by any time you can, maybe next time there won't even be a chance of dying horribly."

"Yeah," Sora says with a knowing eye roll. "I'm _sure_ the odds are good on that happening."

"Tell Kairi hello for us," Jasmine says. Sora nods at that, once again feeling the ache of his absent girlfriend. It won't be long now, he reminds himself.

"You keep yourself safe," Telary instructs the princess. "Mozenrath trying to nab you only confirmed our suspicions about Maleficent and the Princesses of Heart."

" _Don't_ sing!" Azlyn says to Genie, pointing threateningly at the big blue lug. He immediately waves his hand and cuts off the slowly building Whitney Houston vocals.

"I do so love being 'kept safe'," Jasmine says with a sigh.

"Hey," her husband says, looping his arm around hers, "what if _I_ offer to be the one watching you at all hours of the day and night?"

She smirks. "Well, I suppose that wouldn't be so bad at all."

"Okay, now we're gonna leave for real!" Azlyn is already moving up the ship's ramp, throwing up a peace sign as she goes. "It's been a trip, Agrabah!"

"Time for an engine check!" Telary almost squeals. With one last nod, he turns and heads into the ship with visible giddiness.

Aladdin puts a hand on Sora's arm, looking the Keybearer seriously in the eyes. "Sora, I know you can't really give us all the information on what's going on," he says sincerely, "but if you _ever_ need any help from me, don't hesitate for a second. I owe you my life like a dozen times over."

"Hey, man," Sora replies, doing his best not to get overtly emotional. "You've done plenty for me too. And I'll keep that in mind. See you later, guys."

**KH-KH-KH**

Maleficent regards the sorcerer on his knees before her with a callous look. Even after a fairly successful operation, she can't escape the groveling of failed cohorts.

"Just give me another chance," Mozenrath says, practically begging. He's far from the haughty man he once was, his flesh and skeletal hands clasped together as if in prayer. "Everything happened successfully. You got to run your test." He holds up his right arm, the white bones seeming to glow with what little light shines in the chamber. "Look at what I was willing to give up for our cause. I deserve…!"

" _Deserve?_ " Maleficent repeats, arching an eyebrow at the pathetic beggar. "In this life, you foolish _boy_ , we deserve only whatever it is that we can take for ourselves. There are cosmic scales that require balance, Mozenrath. And in this bargain, I fear your end comes up quite short."

"I still know more about magical artifacts in Agrabah than any man alive," the sorcerer pleads. "Give me more power, and I could storm Agrabah's palace and take the Princess of Heart for you! I have more to offer, Maleficent, if you could just give me a chance. Give me the power I need!"

The witch is silent for a long moment, apparently considering. Mozenrath tries fighting the urge to shake as she contemplates him. He knows that this is not the moment to appear weak.

After a minute that seems to stretch on for years, Maleficent speaks. "Perhaps there is some truth to what you say," she says, her tone giving away nothing. "There may yet be power to unlock within Agrabah. Jasmine could be mine at any time I choose. She will be needed, after all."

"Yes, yes exactly. I just need another chance."

"Yes, you are not completely without sense." Maleficent offers Mozenrath her open hand, transferring her staff to the other. He desperately grabs at the offered appendage, his skeletal hand gripping her flesh. "No, you do not lack sense, Mozenrath. But unfortunately, there is something that _I_ lack any more of." He looks up at her, all sense of hope gone from his expression. " _Mercy_."

Green fire envelopes Mozenrath's hand, charring the bones to dust. It doesn't stop there, traveling up his elbow and along the rest of his body. He tries to scream, even as his lungs burn away. Within moments the sorcerer is gone, nothing but a stain on the chamber floor.

There's silence for a moment, and then one of Maleficent's surviving cohorts speaks up. "Well gee. Remind me not to piss you off. Amiright guys?" The man, dressed in black and white with a truly disorienting tower of red hair, looks to his fellow conspirators with a gleam in his eye.

"I admit, ya got style Maleficent," chimes in a slim, scary-beyond-all-reason woman with the tail of a cat.

"If you'll excuse me," her burly partner says, "I gotta go use the little boys' room. Not 'cause seeing that made me wanna throw up my spinach puffs or anything. I just gotta go."

"It's as I always say," remarks a brown-furred feline, idly scratching his claws on the floor. "Life's not fair."

"What is one less human?" a scaly, winged woman says with a nonchalant shrug.

"I'd have preferred to see a decapitation," the cabal's newest member declares, twisting the heart-shaped scepter in her hands, "but one does what one must to maintain one's rule."

"I hope that may serve as an adequate lesson to you all," Maleficent addresses the room, coldly staring down each occupant. "I gathered you together in this cause because of what you had to offer. Should you seek to take more than you can give…" She gestures to the charred spot on the floor. "You know your tasks. Now go."

One by one, the conspirators make their exits. When they've all departed, and Maleficent is finally alone, she finally allows herself the satisfaction of cackling at her evil act.


	12. What Lies Beneath

Kairi wakes up with a bad feeling.

It's fairly early, though with all the clouds covering the sky she can hardly tell. For a few minutes, she simply allows herself to just lay in bed. She looks over to the other side, still perfectly made up. Though not usually one to indulge a mess, Kairi can't help but wish that Sora had been there last night to give it his usual disheveling. It's been days now, long enough to where she's beginning to really worry.

There's a lot to worry about, anymore. Laguna's condition lingers in the back of her mind, right alongside the unexplained icky feeling that seems to accompany the sight of Ardyn. There's today's big activity, exploring Xehanort's secret laboratory, to consider as well. According to Sora, there had been a few files on her in the computer datascape. Just some medical reports and theorizing, but that doesn't make it less creepy.

Turning her head, Kairi finds her gaze resting on the nightstand beside her. On top of it sits her star-shaped charm, the one she'd crafted years ago, before all of this mess. A good luck charm to help with her, Riku, and Sora's ill-fated raft trip. It's much more than that now, a symbol of the love and devotion between her and Sora. His promise to always come back to her, no matter what.

She hadn't even thought to give it to him before he left, considering how quickly the decision was made, and how short they'd expected the trip to be. There's no need for it, Kairi tells herself. Sora will be back soon, their time apart minimal.

There's a knock on the door, startling the Princess of Heart from her contemplations. "C'mon Kairi!" Riku calls. "If I have to be up this early, then so do you!"

Kairi sits up, smiling. Riku's been doing his best to keep her spirits up these past few days, making a point to spend time with her and keeping things light. Even while he's dealing with his own stuff, he doesn't want her to be sad about Sora's absence. She's really glad that this is what their relationship has evolved into.

The older boy knocks again, hard enough to shake the frame. "I'm serious, Kairi! I haven't even found any coffee yet, and you know what…"

"Will you just hold on!" she calls back, moving toward the wardrobe. She opens it, deciding that today's a good day to break out her more athletic outfit. She pulls out the white tank top, purple sleeveless hoodie, and white capri pants. Lastly, she picks her charm up off the table and places it in her pocket. I feels good to have it near her, as a reminder of the man who's coming home to her soon.

Thankfully, Riku doesn't make any more noise while she quickly dresses. When Kairi finally throws the door open, he doesn't even seem quite as murderous as he'd sounded.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be the early riser?" he grumbles as she puts on her white and purple tennis shoes. "Are you, y'know, okay?"

"Of course I am," Kairi responds easily, springing to her feet. Offering her friend a smile, she steps out into the hall. "I guess I just really got around yesterday. Are _you_ okay?"

They begin their trek to the lift stop. "Oh, never better," Riku replies, smiling.

"I'm sure. Not-dating seems to suit you just fine."

He blushes, stopping to press the crystal that will summon their platform. "Y'know, it's a lot easier than I thought it would be," he admits, sounding just a tad wistful. "Of course, the second we decide to drop the 'not' part, I'm going to be an absolute wreck."

"Maybe you'll get lucky," Kairi teases, "and this will all spiral into a long, drawn out conflict you can use as an excuse."

It's not exactly funny, and neither Keyblade wielder laughs once they've had a moment to think about it. Luckily, the lift car arrives from above before things get too awkward. There's already a sizable group onboard.

"Good morning!" Aerith greets the pair with a bright smile. She's one of the few, along with LeBlanc. Everyone else wears expressions ranging from neutral to actively disgruntled. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I did, thanks!" Kairi replies with her own smile. She ends up standing next to Leon, who is definitely in the "disgruntled" category. His arms are crossed tightly, a deeper frown on his face than usual. Ardyn is on his other side, and now that she's getting a closer look Kairi can sense a kind of subtly pleased air about the chancellor. He's definitely more sanguine than Steiner. The sergeant holds himself incredibly tight. Stiff.

"I see Laguna isn't here," Riku points out neutrally. "Still not feeling well?"

"He required his rest this morning," Ardyn answers. "I'm sure everything will be running perfectly smoothly by the end of the day."

Riku makes a small noise in reply, but Kairi hardly notices. Her gaze is fixed firmly on Steiner, still maintaining a picture perfect expression of military blankness. Not wanting to be seen staring, she quickly turns away. But something about the sergeant is bothering her, no mistake.

No one says anything more for a long time, silently exiting the lift platform and moving to the castle library. Maybe it's simply the earliness of the hour, or perhaps everyone is contemplating what exactly happened years ago in the place they're about to visit. Whatever the reason, silence follows the group like a fog.

"Hey," Riku interrupts finally, just as they enter the library. "What's the situation on coffee availability down here? Because I am _so_ not doing this without caffeine."

Whether he was consciously attempting to defray the tension or not, Riku's comment succeeds in doing so.

"Cid and a couple of researchers have been down there since earlier, making sure we can use our remote trigger to open the lab," Leon explains, not exactly chipper but at least no longer stony. "I'm certain someone has brewed a pot."

"Good," Riku replies, watching as Leon moves the bookshelf.

"This platform is a lot smaller," the Restoration Committee leader says, standing in outside balcony's doorway. "So it might best to do this in smaller groups. I'll take Ardyn and the soldiers down first."

The first group heads down: Leon, Ardyn, Steiner, and four soldiers whose names nobody has bothered to learn. The others watch them go down in silence.

Riku is the first to speak. "Anybody else think they're acting weird? The Bright Oasis guys, I mean."

"I should say so," LeBlanc immediately concurs.

"Do you think Laguna really is as okay as they said?" Kairi asks. "I don't know Steiner that well, but I could tell something was off for him."

"I could as well," Aerith says, nodding. "They didn't let me see Laguna before we left, said he was still sleeping. Maybe my attempts at treating him yesterday didn't so as much good as I thought they would."

"Ardyn didn't seem especially bothered," Riku points out. "Of course, something about that guy has always kinda set off my nerves."

"You too?" Kairi asks. "I thought it was just me. He doesn't _seem_ like a bad guy, in fact he's been incredibly nice since he arrived. But he also seems very loyal to Laguna. If something were happening, I doubt he'd be chipper."

"That Steiner _is_ wound awfully tight," LeBlanc says thoughtfully. "Perhaps we were all just reading off of him?"

"And keep in mind what we're about to do," Aerith adds. "They don't know _all_ the details, but certainly enough to get the gist of the kinds of things we might find in that lab. Even if Laguna is really recovering, it could just be one more compounding thing."

"Too bad Yuffie's teaching that gymnastics class at the barracks today," Riku says. "We could use an extra opinion."

"Oh yes, I'm _sure_ that's your only regret about the ninjette not being here," LeBlanc says, every word infused with salaciousness.

"I don't want to be so paranoid," Kairi says with a sigh. The lift platform has arrived by now, and the group heads out to board it. "Sora wouldn't be, would he?"

Riku shrugs, palming the crystal and sending them down. "I dunno. He likes to see the good in people, but he's all sensitive too."

"Yeah," Kairi agrees.

"No one's really talked about it yet, have they?" Aerith says, drawing curious glances her way. "Where we're going. What happened there, so long ago. All this time, we've only ever mentioned the data search. Not one word about the horrors that lead Xehanort _to_ most of that data."

"It's not exactly the most pleasant conversational topic," LeBlanc points out.

"We should keep our focus on the main goal," Riku adds, stone-faced. "Not get distracted by ancient history."

LeBlanc looks ready to object to the "ancient" descriptor when the platform touches down. Leon and the soldiers aren't waiting there, so the group just goes on ahead.

"I just think," Aerith says as they enter the underground corridors, "that we shouldn't blind ourselves to the very real tragedy that occurred right under our noses. Or the kind of affects it could have on us, seeing it in reality for the first time."

"How well have the Bright Oasis people been briefed?" Kairi asks. "At least we all have _some_ idea of what could be down there."

"Everyone coming into the laboratory is a soldier," Riku replies. "They should damn well be tough enough to face… Whatever. Besides, what exactly do you think we're going to find down there? A mountain of human corpses, some kind of statue made from the bones of the dead?"

"My," LeBlanc says, covering her mouth with one hand, "you do have a way with words, young man."

They've arrived in Ansem's study, the room filled with sound despite being almost completely empty. All of the noise comes drifting in from down the hall, multiple conversations and people moving around. But there is the smell of coffee, a small machine filed less than halfway. Riku is on it immediately.

Leon leans against the hidden doorway to the computer room, conversing with Cid. "So, why is it still closed?"

"Hey, we already tested it!" the mechanic protests, grinning. "We just thought ya might appreciate a bit of drama, seein' it all open up for the first time."

"If there is anything we don't need today," Leon replies tersely. "It's 'a bit of drama'. Clear?"

"Sorry, boss-man," Cid apologizes, though not without an eye roll. He turns away, and seeing the rest of the group perks up just a bit. "There's the intrepid explorers!"

"And me, Darling," LeBlanc chimes in with a little wave. "I'm more here for solidarity of spirit than actually, you know, venturing underground."

Cid rolls his eyes yet again. "Of course ya are, Doll. Everybody else, let's get down to the entrance already."

They pass through the cold metal hallway, soon finding themselves completely blocked from entering the room. People are packed inside, men and women wearing identical white lab coats. Riku holds the cup in his hand closer to his body.

"Hey, move yer asses!" Cid yells inside. Crude as the method may be, he does manage to convince those inside to follow the suggestion. "Just passin' through, everybody. You can all go back to looking busy once I'm gone!"

Despite all of Cid's forcefulness, it's a tight squeeze making it through the computer room. Kairi must step on or bump aside at least a dozen people, and she tries to apologize where she can. Eventually, though, everyone manages to get out. Riku doesn't even lose a drop.

The room beyond is much more spacious obviously, Kairi's jaw dropping at the sheer height and length. They walk down a long metal staircase, and she's almost too engrossed by the place's grandeur to keep her feet on the right path. She does nearly fall once, but luckily Riku's quick reflexes are able to save her from a real tumble.

They end up in what looks like some kind of metal sports arena, just a large circle with slightly raised edges. Beyond that is a steep drop to another floor several feet below, surrounded on both sides by rows and rows of stacked machinery. There are quite a few people milling about in here as well, though with the larger space it doesn't seem like it.

For some reason the first person Kairi focuses on is Ardyn. He stands on the edge, looking up at what once were the machines that made the Heartless. His face doesn't give much away, but the Princess of Heart would swear he's a bit impressed. Kairi doesn't really blame him for that, actually. Horrible as their purpose was, the sheer number of machines are a sight to behold.

"Damn effective camouflage," Steiner is saying to a few of his soldiers. Whatever had been on his nerves before, it doesn't seem to be affecting him as much now.

"Isn't it a shame," Riku butts into the conversation, "that evil masterminds never bother putting up a big sign that says 'doing bad stuff in here'. Always with the secrets and lies."

The sergeant mutters something unintelligible in reply. Riku takes another sip, leaving barely a finger of brown liquid. When it comes to his coffee, the man works fast.

"Not after today," Leon says, his voice quiet.

Phineas and Ferb walk up to Cid. "Is everybody here and ready, Mr. Highwind?" The red-haired child looks rather precious, all dressed up in his little lab coat. Ferb looks nice too, but there's just something less childlike about that one.

"Yeah, we're here," the mechanic replies. "Alright, everybody who's going down, come and step over to me. _Behind_ me, of ya don't mind. We don't need anybody standing on the entrance and breaking their neck when it starts moving."

Kairi, Riku, Leon, Aerith, Steiner, and two of the three Bright Oasis soldiers step up, forming an odd person-shaped pyramid with Cid at the head.

"Is this really it?" Riku asks, looking over his shoulder at the few people behind him. "The best we could do?"

"Ferb and I volunteered to go," Phineas declares. "But everybody said no. Immediately, and really loud!"

"We're only just scoping the place out first," Leon says sternly. "Once Aerith, Cid, and I have determined that everything is alright, then we'll start bringing in more people."

"So, we're just the canaries for your coal mine," Riku says, frowning. Kairi throws a confused kook his way. "It's an expression I heard during my world traveling days. Just ignore it, and know that it was indignant."

"We generally do, Riku," Aerith shoots back, stone-faced. Riku nods in appreciation, taking his last swallow of coffee.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road for real," Cid says, giving pretty much everyone a stink eye. "Phineas, make with the opening."

"Roger that, Mr. Highwind!" The red-haired boy reaches into his lab coat pocket, pulling out a small device with just three buttons. He places his thumb over the top button, and presses down without fanfare.

The room starts to shake immediately, just a slight rumble. Then, the middle of the room begins opening in a reverse swirl. Everyone takes a step back on instinct, but the properly safe distance has been thoroughly calculated. When the rumbling stops, the group is left standing on the edge of a deep, deep shaft going down into Radiant Garden's depths.

"I dropped a munny in there earlier," Cid informs Leon and Aerith, though obviously everyone else hears as well. "Took nearly a minute to reach the bottom. At least that's what we think, couldn't hear much from that far away."

"How did he build all this again?" Kairi can't help but ask.

"Most of this shaft was most likely already here," Leon explains. "Apparently Ansem had a small setup here, which Xehanort must have expanded."

"Lot of expanding," Riku comments.

"For all his faults, this Xehanort was certainly industrious," Ardyn adds.

"Which isn't great news for us," Leon says, shaking his head. "Okay, here's the plan. The bulk of the group will head straight for the bottom, just to check everything out. Once I've been satisfied, we can call in everyone else."

"Not you, Kid!" Cid quickly informs the eager Phineas. "Do me a favor and watch him especially close, Alyssa."

"Of course, Cid," replies a young woman with short brown hair. She smiles down at Phineas, who gives her a blank look in return. Ferb, meanwhile, is clearly checking the older technician out. He's got an eye for the ladies, that one.

"Best of luck to you all," Ardyn says. Though he looks his usual pleased self, Kairi would swear he's a bit upset about something as well. Perhaps he wanted to participate in the search? She supposes that with Laguna out of commission, the chancellor is Bright Oasis's highest authority. No point in risking him on something like this. "We'll see each other again soon enough."

Leon takes the lead, everyone following him down a wide metal walkway that winds its way down the long shaft in a lazy spiral. They were all plenty tense before, but hardly to the extent they're feeling it right now. For Kairi specifically, it's as if there's literally something in the air. It feels like it's closing in on her, and all the Princess of Heart can do is keep moving forward. The group passes closed metal doors every so often, and they can only wildly speculate about what might have once gone on behind them.

Since Riku is both walking right next to her and her closest friend here, she decides to ease things by talking to him. Looking over at the silver-haired young man, she notices that he's not hiding anything of his reaction. She hasn't seen him look like this since he, Sora, and her visited her cousin's baby and it… Did what babies do.

"It's the darkness in this place," Riku whispers to her, even the slightest noise of his whispers throwing her off. For some reason, quiet seems to be the order of the day in this shaft, even though she can hear conversation filtering down from above. They must be almost two-hundred feet down now. "I can sense it, almost like a smell. A bad one. Here it's especially awful. Like it's gone stale."

"I can see where you're coming from," Kairi agrees. "This is _not_ a good place for the sensitive."

"Then it's a good thing Leon's in the lead," Riku jokes, his face scrunching in a ridiculous version of Leon's usual frown. When Kairi lets out a very quiet giggle in response, she can't help but wonder when the last time laughter was heard in this awful place.

Up ahead, Leon says nothing. Even after hearing all the explanations and excuses, every word about trust and light, he still can't help but wonder _how_. People must have been disappearing from the city at a fairly noticeable rate, and their once benevolent and visible ruler became a recluse. So how could this be ignored? And more importantly, are he and the Restoration Committee creating a society where it would not be?

Considering just how loud the committee's critics have taken to denouncing the official position on Ansem the wise, the answer is probably yes. As annoying as opposition can be, it's only healthy in a fair society. Though, to Leon's continued surprise, his political enemies have been strangely quiet throughout the entire Bright Oasis visit. Perhaps they simply know better than to provoke such a well-armed bear.

"Hey!" Cid's voice cuts through Leon's thoughts. The entire group stops, focusing in the grizzled mechanic. "Something up ahead. Take a look."

Kairi rises up on her toes to look over Cid's shoulder, one hand open and ready to summon the Keyblade if necessary. A few feet away, just past the next curve in the walkway, light shines through the small viewing window of a closed door. The illumination spilling out is faint, but definitely not something to be found anywhere else in this labyrinth.

"It's got to be nothing, right?" Aerith suggests. "I mean, it's impossible to think anybody would still be down here after all these years."

"Of course," Leon agrees.

"Still…" Riku can't help but chime in. Everyone gives him a look, but he just shrugs. "Hey, I've seen some weird crap, alright?"

"No harm in just opening up the door, though," Kairi adds. "I don't know about anybody else, but if I weren't distracted by this place's creepy feeling, walking past all of these closed doors without looking inside would be driving me crazy!"

"I say she's got a point," Steiner chimes in. "All of these unopened doors _have_ been driving me crazy, personally."

"Fine," Leon concedes. People start moving forward, but he holds out an arm and they immediately stop. " _But_ , we're just taking a quick look inside. We do have an actual goal here, and it's still a few hundred feet downward."

They move as one, curiosity temporarily driving out the creepy air. Everyone knows they won't be finding anything terribly interesting behind that door, but why waste a welcome distraction? Cid gets there first, but its Leon who grabs at the knob before the mechanic can. Before pulling, however, he takes a look inside the window.

"Just as we all thought," he announces in a bored tone. "Looks like some kind of office. Totally empty. Sorry to disappoint everyone."

"What, you're not even going to open it up?" Riku interjects.

"I think I've seen all that…"

"One side," Riku declares, lightly shoving the Restoration Committee leader aside. He summons Way to Dawn, tapping it against the door's handle. There's a loud click, and the silver-haired young man wastes no time opening it up.

The room is as Leon described. A few dozen square feet, with a desk and a few chairs. The desktop is far from organized, manila folders both open and closed scattered across the surface. There's a shelving unit behind the desk, but it's mostly just crammed with books. There is one item of interest upon it though. A small blue crystal sits on one of the upper shelves.

"Okay, I guess you were right," Riku concedes with a shake of his head. "Still, wasn't nice for everybody to have a momentary distraction?"

"Momentary being the key word here," Aerith declares, already on her way out. "Not to sound like Leon, but we do have a mission to complete here."

Everyone starts to leave, but Kairi is struck by the sudden urge to stick around. Frowning, she gives the office another once-over. Of course this second glance reveals nothing new to her, but still… In an odd way, she doesn't feel quite so out-of-sorts in this place. It might just be the sense that nothing too terribly horrible could have happened in this room, but all the same she's more relaxed.

"I'd like to take another look around," she says, startling the rest of her party. Despite their confused glances in her direction, the redhead simply shrugs. "This is probably one of the apprentices' offices or something. Call me curious."

"I suppose I can't stop you," Leon says after a moment. "You've been volunteering for all this, so… go ahead, if that's what you want to do."

"That's what you want to do?" Riku repeats, giving her the most confused look of all. "Look around this old office?"

"Yes. It is."

"You'll need some way to communicate with the rest of us," Aerith points out. "Just in case."

"One of my men can stay with her," Steiner volunteers, quite eagerly for some reason. "Private Johns, stay with Kairi. You can call us if anything happens, or if you want to find us."

"Because it's so hard to look down and yell," Riku mutters, looking over the Bright Oasis soldiers. "Hey, maybe I should stay too."

"No can do, Heigh Ho Silver," Cid declares, shaking his head. "We need to have at least one Keyblade riding along. Unless you think we should all just go breaking down doors?"

Riku simply grunts in response, along with a quick shrug of his shoulders. Clearly this is far out of his hands. "You're absolutely sure that you want to stick around here?"

Kairi can't help but roll her eyes. "Yes, Riku. I actually feel better in here than I do out there. Don't you worry about me."

The rest of the group leaves the room, only the single soldier remaining by the door. He stands at attention, his small black rifle held in both hands. For a moment, Kairi thinks about possibly striking up some sort of conversation. But she quickly dismisses the notion, turning instead to the desk and its files. Everything's a bit dusty, but she doesn't mind.

She brushes aside some papers, just pages of text written in rather sloppy handwriting. Beneath them, she uncovers a fairly thick book bound in red leather. There are no words on the cover, but when Kairi flips open the first page she spots what must be a title. It's handwritten, the same sloppy style as the text of the loose paper. Luckily, these words are larger and more easily read.

" _Lost Locales And Hidden Treasures_ ," Kairi mutters to herself, suddenly quite intrigued. There's more text under it, smaller but still legible. Just five little words. " _Braig's Guide To The Unknown_."

**KH-KH-KH**

If she'd known that she'd just be standing around looking at some hole in the ground, LeBlanc definitely would not have been so quick to come along on this little "adventure". It had sounded exciting enough when Cid had described it to her, and as a major member of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee it was only natural she should attend. Not that she's eager to step foot in the awful place below her, but it would certainly be nice to have something to do.

"This is probably not one of the views of our fair city that you expected when you came here, Chancellor," she says conversationally to Ardyn, the only person to talk to besides eggheads and children.

"Well, one must be up for anything when visiting a new environment," he replies, charming as ever. Just the sight of his small grin interests LeBlanc immensely. Unfortunately, she's not a fan of fleeting encounters or long-distance relationships. And of course there's Cid to consider. "But, I imagine it will only be a small matter of time before I find myself free to roam about the more pleasant parts of the city."

On second thought, perhaps that smile isn't quite as charming as LeBlanc had once thought. There almost seems to be something else underneath its surface, mocking as opposed to humorous.

"I'm not one to get impatient," Phineas suddenly speaks up, "but when are they gonna give us the message already?"

Alyssa, the young woman in charge while Cid is absent, laughs at the young boy. "You know how long the way down is, Phin. Take a breath. You don't see Ferb getting all worked up, do you?"

The green-haired boy winks in reply.

"Ridiculous," LeBlanc mutters under her breath. Perhaps she's put in enough of an appearance, and now might be a perfect time to invent some excuse and slip away…

And, suddenly, excitement. Just a bit however, simply a white-coated technician rushing into the room. In his hand he holds one of the Restoration Committee's black walkie-talkies. "Mr. Ardyn?"

"Yes?" the man in question replies with a gleam in his eye, turning to the young scientist.

"Captain Quistis wants to talk to you right away," he explains, holding the black box out. "Apparently it's pretty urgent."

"Oh, is it now." Ardyn takes the walkie-talkie, a smile even wider and more radiant than his usual appearing on his face. A loud beep emits from the device as he presses the "talk" button. "What seems to be the issue, Captain."

"Were you expecting any friends to join you today, by chance?" Quistis inquires through the somewhat scratchy connection. "A lot of friends, in big threatening ships."

"Ah, yes I did," Ardyn replies casually. "I called them just last night, once I realized what it was you had done to our dear president."

"Excuse me? We didn't do a damn _thing_ to…"

"Denial is the natural response, I suppose," the chancellor interrupts. "Perhaps you'll change your reply once PSICOM has taken control of the city."

Quistis can only begin to shout back a reply before, quite casually, Ardyn crushes his walkie in one hand. He turns to the rest of the room, still smiling. All its charm has been lost.

"Just what are you playing at here?" LeBlanc demands, getting up in the chancellor's face.

"Oh, I am _far_ from playing, Miss LeBlanc," he replies calmly. Then, suddenly a slight giggle slips out from his lips. "Well, perhaps I play just a little. Miss Zaidelle, if you wouldn't mind."

"Certainly." The perky young woman reaches into her lab coat, drawing forth a shining black pistol. Taking a step back, she brandishes it the rest of the room's inhabitants.

"Uh, Alyssa," Phineas asks in a slow, nervous voice. "What are you doing?"

"The right thing," she replies, regarding the child with a hardness he's never seen before. "Radiant Garden deserves better than your so-called committee."

"One of Borghen's people then, I suppose," LeBlanc says. For some reason the wealthy woman can't quite fathom, she's feeling pretty calm despite the circumstances. "Well, he certainly slipped a few things by us."

Ardyn chuckles, drawing attention back to him. Up the stairs, the room's door opens once again. "He isn't the only one, my lady."

Half a dozen soldiers in dark red PSICOM armor enter the Heartless Manufactory. Each wears an odd pack on their back. Another pair of soldiers without packs follow. And of course they're all holding rifles.

"So may I assume this was your plan all along?" LeBlanc snarls, glaring down Ardyn hard. One of the PSICOM soldiers seems to be moving specifically towards her. She takes a step away, closer to the open pit. Perhaps if she can muster up a scream loud enough…

"Assume away," Ardyn says, somehow still exuding his usual playfulness despite the circumstances. He counters LeBlanc's step, moving further from the shaft and allowing the soldiers with packs to pass him. Without preamble, a pair of them jump, a loud humming suddenly coming from their backpacks. Some kind of propulsion units, then.

For some reason, a new instinct kicks into LeBlanc. She rushes Ardyn head on, curling her fingers into talons as she runs. Perhaps if she moves fast enough…

She doesn't. Ardyn easily reaches out to grab her wrist. His grip is firm, and soon the wealthy woman finds herself flung to the ground. A bit dazed, she looks up into her opponent's face. He's still smiling.

"Ah, such spirit," he says as the last pair of flying soldiers leap into the pit. "You'll need that to sustain you for what's to come. Miss Zaidelle, if you please."

Alyssa puts her gun away, considering there's no real need for to anymore. She knows Radiant Garden's technical committee well, and two PSICOM soldiers should be enough to keep them at bay. Free to act, she lifts the remote control in her other hand. All it takes is the press of a single button, and the entrance to Xehanort's lab begins to rapidly close.

"You didn't send nearly enough men!" LeBlanc snarls up at Ardyn. "You have no idea what the people down there are capable of."

"Whether they are captured by my people or not is irrelevant," Ardyn replies, shrugging one shoulder. "Their combat skills may be great, certainly. If only for the moment. I suppose we'll just see what happens once they've been trapped underground for a few days."

**KH-KH-KH**

The noise is faint, but Kairi hears it immediately. She lowers the book in her hands, the rest of her muscles tensing in preparation. She isn't quite sure what exactly she's preparing for, but she knows that…

"Put your hands in the air." Private Johns' voice is firm, brooking no argument. Kairi drops her book, raising both hands above her head. Fists closed. "Turn around. And open those hands while you're at it."

The noise has gotten much louder, closer. It's odd, like a very large group are all humming the same notes together. As Kairi finishes turning, it sounds as if it's coming from right outside the door. Unfortunately, Johns still blocks her view.

"Hey," he says his rifle twitching just slightly. "I told you to open up your hands. Do it now, or…"

Kairi does as she's told, fingers snapping up like coiled springs. Light explodes from both open palms, bright enough to dazzle the PSICOM soldier. He flinches only just slightly, but it's enough. Kairi dives to the side, narrowly avoiding a burst of gunfire.

She completes a perfect handspring, her bronze Keyblade summoned before her feet are back on the ground. Johns hears her landing, quickly turning to face her with his gun still primed. She slaps away a pair of bullets, moving forward with a set expression. The private doesn't have time for another shot before she's on him. She swings her blade down diagonally, catching the soldier's rifle. Johns manages to hang on, but it's not much comfort once she's given him a backhand to the face. He's lifted almost a foot off the ground, and he crashes back down hard.

Kairi sweeps her Keyblade again, hitting the rifle and knocking it out of the private's hands. It clatters to the floor and slides away. She's feeling good, until the humming returns. Looking up, she sees another PSICOM soldier enter the room with his gun drawn.

She's not interested in wasting time. Light energy flies from her left hand, a solid orb that takes the soldier in his chest and sends him flying backwards.

Kairi rushes to the doorway, stepping over her fallen attacker and back into the open shaft. Something whirs overhead, and she looks up just in time to see the laboratory's hidden entrance slam closed. The only light now comes from the room she just exited, and smaller bulbs built into the walkway's sides.

The sharp cracks of more gunfire rise from below. Wasting no time with even the most cursory look, Kairi begins sprinting down to her friends.

**KH-KH-KH**

Warp Gummis are truly marvelous things, Sora muses as light fills the canopy above him. All he has to do is blink, and suddenly he's looking out at space over Radiant Garden.

"We shouldn't call the whole world that, now," he muses, drawing a confused look from Azlyn. He just smiles back. "I mean, we know there are two cities there now, not just the garden. So we should try and be more, I don't know, inclusive guess."

"That's a fair point," Telary agrees, already steering them down. Before he can say anything else, the sound of an incoming communique fills the room. Slowing their descent, he accepts the message.

Chip and Dale appear on one of the dashboard monitors. They both look quite worked up about something.

"Oh Tel, you're safe!" Dale declares loudly. "And Azlyn too!"

"Yeah, we're fine," the knight replies. "Somehow."

"Good thing you've got some happy news," Chip says, his voice even squeakier than usual, "because we sure don't."

Sora bolts out of his seat, ignoring the sound Telary makes. The wizard doesn't really like them standing up during takeoffs or landings. "Why, what's going on?"

"It turns out that what you saw before wasn't a fluke!" Dale announces. He's shaking. "All of the sudden, another big group of stars just went out."

"All at once?" Telary asks, shaking quite a bit himself.

"Like birthday candles!" Chip screams. "And those darkness readings aren't safe anymore either."

"Bad stuff is happening, man!" Dale cries. " _Bad stuff_!"

Sora's hands tighten into fists, rage blossoming in his chest and spreading through the rest of his body like a tidal wave. "Not again!" he snarls under his breath. Outside the cockpit, clouds fly by as they move toward the surface.

"Well, we'll need to talk with the others about this," Telary says, somehow regaining his composure. It helps to remind himself the consequences of messing up what he's doing at this moment. They're just about to break free from the clouds. "Get a strategy, a pl… What are _those_?"

Sora snaps out of his enraged fog, staring out the window. Two large vehicles hover above the city of Radiant Garden. They look vaguely familiar, but he's not quite sure how. After a moment, it dawns on him.

"Those are from Bright Oasis," he reports. "Yeah, like that one that chased us down when we were outside the city. Maybe Laguna called them in for something."

"Are you guys still hearing us?" Chip calls out, bringing at least Sora's attention back to the communications monitor. The engineer and his brother stare up at the Keybearer. "Is there anything we should do?"

Sora's about to suggest they sign off and keep scanning, but a shout from Azlyn cuts him off. "They're firing on us! Those bastards are…"

An impact rocks the Gummi ship, the barely muffled sound of an explosion filling the air. Sora finds himself falling backwards, landing harshly on the floor in a mild daze. Once again, he finds himself staring at empty sky from out of the opaque cockpit's Gummiglass bubble.

"Tel, another one's coming! Evade or…"

The momentum of a sharp turn pulls at Sora's body, sending him sliding a few inches left. He uses the motion as part of a roll, making it to his knees. Just as the Keybearer is about to stand up, the ship is hit again. He trips as they begin a sharp fall downward.


	13. Down And Out

"Holy shit, I got 'em!"

It's not quite the most professional thing Wedge could have said upon his missiles making contact with the enemy vessel. "Target Hit" or "Enemy Eliminated" would probably have been a more military term. But the man has never really hit _anything_ ever before, so excitement takes over.

"Aw, yeah you did!" Biggs declares from the next workstation over. He raises an arm, grinning as he waits for the inevitable high-five.

"If you complete that juvenile outburst," Colonel Nabaat's voice declares from behind the pair, "I will have you both on latrine duties for the rest of your natural lives."

"Yes ma'am," Wedge replies, bowing his head. "But, uh, I _did_ get 'em. Whoever it was."

"Ardyn mentioned something about one of the garden's allies going for a trip offworld," Nabaat explains, watching on the closest monitor as the enemy ship plummets to the surface. Whoever exactly was on it, she appreciates the thrill that seeing the crash gives her. "I wanted to be here in case they came back. Now that it's been taken care of, time to move in to the city."

She moves her gaze to the bridge's main monitor, displaying an image of Radiant Garden from above. It's hard to tell from this far away, but she's sure there's a battle raging within those walls. She can't wait to be a part of it. Business first, however. Jihl moves back to her command seat, turning toward her personal communications suite and opening a direct line.

After a few moments of silent static, there's a loud click. "Yes, Colonel?" Ardyn says calmly. There's a lot of background noise, including the loud cracks of several gunshots. "Over."

"Is this not a good time?" Nabaat asks, glancing at a nearby screen where the enemy ship has finally crashed between two blue cliffs. "Over."

"No, perfectly acceptable. We're just in transit at the moment. Meeting some resistance, but that's to be expected." He goes silent, but without an "over" to end the message Jihl knows not to reply. "Though come to think of it, would it be too much to ask for a moment? I could let you listen in, if you'd like. Over."

The colonel grits her teeth. "Go ahead. Over."

There's a few seconds of empty air, just the background noises of breathing and casual movement. "My thanks for the momentary ceasefire, gentlemen. I wish there was a more… civilized way to go about this, but here we are. I have with me, as I'm sure you can see, several hostages. Two of them, you may note, are children." Ardyn is silent again, obviously letting the implication sink in. "Wouldn't it be rather unpleasant if anything unfortunate were to happen to them while we were fighting each other?"

It doesn't surprise Jihl when the Radiant Garden soldiers surrender almost immediately. She'd never been overly concerned with the probabilities of attacking this city, but now there's no doubt in her mind of Bright Oasis's victory. Their enemies are weak, willing to compromise and surrender without a fight.

"We're on our way again," Ardyn declares through the radio. "What was it you were calling about, Colonel? Over."

"We've had a bit of luck, sir," Jihl reports, once again looking over the enemy ship's crash site. "One of those ships just entered our airspace, and we were able to shoot it down. I assume that was why you had us looking out so intently up here? Over."

"Yes, good. Send down a few drones to survey the wreckage. If anyone is still alive, subdue and bring them to me. If not, then at least we have confirmation. I will contact you. Over."

Colonel Nabaat lets the communication go after that last over, knowing Ardyn won't mind the slight breach in protocol. But why waste time on words when it's time for action.

"Vicks!" she yells across the bridge. The soldier in question spins his chair around so fast he almost falls right out of it. "Get a few drones down there to check the wreckage. I don't need to get grief from higher up if you didn't manage to finish your job."

Biggs nods, calling up a connection with the ship's automated units. With his back turned to the colonel, she can't see his sad frown.

**KH-KH-KH**

Kairi grits her teeth as she runs, expecting the sharp sounds of gunfire to rise from below at any moment. But she hears nothing so harsh, just the noise of people talking to one another. Still, it would hardly do any harm to hurry up and find her friends.

Eventually, she reaches a spot where she can look down at the other group on another section of the walkway below. It's hard for her to make out details in the meager light from the small bulbs in the walkway, but she can see everyone's organized into two groups. Kairi slows down, walking lightly for stealth.

"Did you have this all planned from the beginning?" Leon demands. "Come to our city and take it for your own. Carve out your own empire?"

"I'm only doing what's best for Bright Oasis," Steiner replies steadily. "I would think you'd understand that. If you cooperate, then things might just turn out the better for you."

"Yeah, right," Riku scoffs. "Too bad I can't say the same for you."

"What do you…?"

"Hey!" Kairi calls, standing behind the soldiers with Keyblade in hand. Three of them spins towards her, rifles raised, but she just calls upon her inner power once again. The bright light gathers at her blade's tip this time, blinding in the shaft's darkness.

On the other side, Riku's blade springs into existence as well. With a gesture, he pulls in the existing shadows around himself, effectively becoming invisible. Diving forward, he's slashing through soldiers before they can even begin firing. Between he and Kairi, soon all of the enemy combatants are moaning in pain on the walkway.

"Did Steiner say anything I missed?" Kairi asks. Behind her, Riku kicks one of the soldiers in the head as they begin to rise.

"The rest of PSICOM is here in Radiant Garden," Aerith explains, frowning. "Apparently we tried to kill their president."

"Why would we do that?"

"We wouldn't," Leon replies, his voice barely containing his fury. "This is some kind of scheme, it has to be."

"Maybe this place really is cursed," Cid mutters to himself. "Can't go one year without a…"

"Whatever's really happening," Riku announces, "we'll figure it out a lot easier if we're not stuck in this stupid place."

"We can still open the way out, right?" Kairi asks.

"If we wanna come face to face with probably a hundred more of these PSICOM guys, then sure," Cid replies, surly even under dire circumstances.

"Not to mention the fact that they'll probably be coming down here en masse anyway in a few minutes," Riku adds.

"Well, if we're not going out that way," Aerith says thoughtfully, "and we don't want them coming down here, then we should just seal it off entirely." She looks to Kairi and Riku. "You two could do that, couldn't you?"

The Destiny Islanders need only exchange a quick nod before raising their blades high. Light gathers at the tips, shooting upward in twin columns of white energy. They reach the shaft's top in no time, and a loud _click_ echoes throughout the underground.

"Hopefully that buys us time," Cid says. "Okay Leon, what now?"

It takes a moment for the Restoration Committee leader to reply, and then it's only with a loud scoff. "Why ask me? Clearly I'm not…"

"Leon," Aerith says firmly. "This is _not_ the time for this. There's a lot to figure out still. We can't have you moping around and making things harder."

"Okay," Leon concedes, nodding decisively. "This shaft is supposed to be connected to the mines, right? There might be a way out through there, if we can find it."

"Sounds like a lotta searching," Cid points out.

"We should keep going to the bottom," Riku says with absolute surety. "There's something down there, I think. I don't know the specifics, but it should have information."

"And why exactly couldn't you have had these insights before?" Cid demands, arms crossed.

Riku just shrugs.

"We should take care of these guys, too," Leon says, pointing to the still-unconscious PSICOM soldiers. "Lock them up in one of those offices."

Kairi obliges, tapping the closest door. When she flips on the light, a room almost identical to the last one is revealed. The desk is slightly bigger, with a few dusty glass beakers scattered across its surface. It takes a moment to drag the soldiers inside.

"Wait a minute," Leon says as Riku is bringing Steiner inside. His helmet is gone, thrown down to the bottom of the shaft. No communicating with the outside for him. "We're taking him with us, I think. Might be useful to have an insight to the soldiers' tactics and probably movements."

"Not to mention you like the idea of turning the tables," Riku comments with a smirk. "No judgment, I like it too!"

A little shaking is all it takes to wake the sergeant. He doesn't seem happy with the awakening, attempting to scoot away and get to his feet. Cid doesn't let him, grabbing the soldier's shoulder as he rises and throwing him back down to the walkway. Hard.

"You're coming with us," Leon says, plain and simple. "And while we walk, you're going to tell us all about what's happening."

"I don't give up information," Steiner replies sternly. "You can do what you like to me, I won't talk. Not that anything I say will do you any good against…"

"Yeah, yeah, you're all badasses in PSICOM," Cid interrupts, rolling his eyes.

"I'm only stating the inevitable," the sergeant continues. "But you can minimize the consequences. If the Restoration Committee leadership turns themselves over into custody, and lets PSICOM set up a new governing body…"

"You're in league with them," Leon growls. "Borghen and the rest of his conspiracy cronies. It figures they'd go to such lengths to put themselves in power."

"Guys, c'mon," Riku says, tapping his foot loudly. "The sooner we find a way out of here, the better."

They all head down together. Leon holds Steiner's gun, pointed right at the sergeant's back to discourage any ideas. He wears restraints as well, just in case. Even knowing all the circumstances, Kairi feels odd toting around a prisoner. Steiner says nothing throughout the entire journey.

Eventually, they reach the bottom of the shaft. A closed doorway is before them, larger than any of the others they've encountered but otherwise identical. A quick tap from Riku's Keyblade is all it takes to open the entryway. Another hall lies beyond, too dark to see anything within.

"It's just a hallway, I can't see anything dangerous in there or anything," Riku says after peering within. "There's controls for lights here too." The silver-haired young man passes through the doorway, absently flipping on the lights as he goes.

Everyone's temporarily dazzled by the brightness, but they adjust soon enough. Until they see what's actually before them. Across the light hall, hung like a painting at its end, is a metallic etching of the Heartless's symbol. It's taller than Cid, and maintains a shine despite how many years it must have gone without being dusted.

"I'd say we came to the right place," Cid remarks, thumbing his nose.

"Oh yeah," Riku agrees, opening one of the doors in the middle of the hall. He looks inside with palpable disgust. "We're here."

Aerith volunteers to keep her eye on Steiner, and Kairi can't help but think the normally gentle woman looks a little humorous with a rifle in her hands. The funny thought dies as she enters the room.

A large machine is built up against the wall, six transparent glass tubes connected to a huge ovoid tank. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what it is. Just looking at it ignites a hurt in Kairi's heart. She moves closer with cautious steps, as if the machine is liable to spring out of its position and attack her.

"The original Heartless machine," Leon says, looking it over with the same caution as everyone else. "Xehanort's experiments must have started right here, with this."

"Six pods," Riku points out, running his hand over one. "One for each apprentice, I'm guessing The original Organization XIII. All of our problems, stemming from just this one room."

"And a solution," Cid chimes in. He ignores the Heartless machine, heading to the room's other side. A computer console rests up against the wall. "Assuming the damn thing works." The mechanic fiddles with the console for only a few seconds before its screen lights up.

"This could be where Xehanort kept his backups," Leon points out, quickly crossing the room to stand by Cid's side. "Looks like we were right to come down here after all."

"Not in hindsight," Riku mutters, also stepping closer to the computer. Kairi follows behind him, a bit absently. "We need to find a way out. Xehanort probably has this place's schematics, which could include connections to the old mine. No use wasting time on anything else."

Cid only grunts in acknowledgment, while Leon sighs and nods to his mechanic. His priorities set, the surly old coot sets himself to work. While he does that, Riku turns to Kairi with a curious look.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks.

"You said this is where all our troubles began," she replies, frowning deeply. "All of Xehanort's schemes can be traced back to here. But I can't help but wonder where Xehanort came from."

Her older friend shrugs. "Nobody knows. Even Xehanort had no idea, he just showed up here one day. Ansem the wise took him in, and was betrayed in return. Wherever Xehanort came from, I'm sure they were glad to be rid of him."

"I guess that should be enough, considering he's dead now," Kairi says. "But… I don't know, Riku. How could a man who caused so much harm, who was capable of such evil, just spring up out of nowhere? Just like I came from Radiant Garden to the islands, he must have come from somewhere."

"I don't know what to tell you," Riku says, shrugging. "Any more of his secrets, whatever they were, died with him. And frankly, I say good riddance."

"And I say _hallelujah_!" Cid crows, lightly slapping the console in front of him. "You were right about lab blueprints being in here. Looks like the wily bastard had a way out, in case things got too hot. A few levels up, in between a pair of offices, there's a fake wall. There's a tunnel from there to one of the old underground mining depots. Won't be too hard to find our way topside from there."

Before anyone else can rejoice at the news, the sharp sound of a gunshot pierces the air. It's coming from the hallway, and within a blink everyone is gathered there and ready for a fight. Just as they did upon entering the machine room, everyone stops short at the sight before them.

Steiner is on the ground, his face contorted in a pained grimace. Aerith stands a few feet away, the rifle in her hands trained on the sergeant and only shaking slightly.

"Are you okay, Aerith?" Leon immediately asks his friend.

"Is _she_ okay!" Steiner exclaims through gritted teeth.

"I'm fine, Leon," the brunette replies steadily. "The sergeant tried to ram me, but I took the blow well enough. Then, well… I'm sure you can work out the rest."

"And you wonder why I think you people are a danger," Steiner mutters.

"Oh, like you didn't ask for it, attacking someone holding a gun on you," Riku scolds him.

"I only grazed you," Aerith informs the pained sergeant. "Lucky for you. If that bullet had lodged itself inside you, I'd need to extract it before casting Cure." She mutters something and waves a hand. Steiner's body is enveloped in a bright green glow, and soon the look of agony is gone from his face.

Leon steps closer to him, leaning down to get in the soldier's face. "I trust you won't be trying anything like that again?"

"No," Steiner admits, looking down in pure defeat. In some ways, it seems worse than his earlier pain. "No, I won't."

"Good." Satisfied, the Restoration Committee's leader stands up straight and tall. "Alright, let's move it people. The sooner we're out of here, the faster we can save Radiant Garden."

The group starts its trek upwards, Riku and Kairi once again at the back. They've only gone a few steps before Riku senses something. He looks at his pure-hearted friend to find her frowning. "You okay? Did that stuff with Steiner upset you?"

The Princess of Heart shakes her head, expression becoming just a bit more sad as she looks back at Riku. "No, I just… Sora's coming back, I know it. He may already be back, and he has no idea what's going on. I'm worried about him, and Azlyn and Telary too."

"That's not surprising," the silver-haired young man says amiably. "To be honest, I've been worried about that myself." Despite the grim subject, Riku finds himself grinning. "But hey, you know those three and their luck. I'd bet munny that wherever they are now, they're doing quite a bit better than we are."

**KH-KH-KH**

On the one hand, Sora is very pleased that he isn't dead. On the other, he's hurting enough to the point where numbness, eternal or otherwise, would actually be quite appreciated. Using his elbow to knock off the chair that had fallen over him, he sits up straight. As he goes, his spine cracks.

The rest of the cockpit is pretty messed up as well, furniture fallen all over the place. The viewing bubble is cracked in several places too. Luckily, they're still relatively level. Sora manages to spot Azlyn and Telary, both of whom are sluggishly attempting to rise themselves.

"Two crashes in one week," Telary laments, one arm laying over his eyes. "I'm starting to think I should maybe give up my wings."

Azlyn props herself up on an elbow and looks affectionately down at her husband. "Hey, not your fault, babe. Extendinating circumstances every time."

"Thanks, Az." The wizard sits up and gives her a peck on the lips.

"I'm fine too, by the way," Sora announces as he stands.

"Sorry, Sora," Telary apologizes with a wince. He and Azlyn help each other to their feet. "I guess I just figured…"

"We can all hug each other in relief later," Azlyn interrupts, brushing off her sleeve. "Right now, I think we should be wondering just why the hell we just got shot outta the sky by the people who are supposed to be Radiant Garden's new friends."

"Something must have gone wrong," Sora says with a sigh. "Of course, why not? All we need is one more problem."

Some of the ship's systems must have survived the crash, as suddenly a loud noise fills the cockpit. He trio all rush to surround the active monitor. The green lines of a radar fill the screen, as well as several white dots converging on their location.

"That's not good," Azlyn declares. "More ships?"

Telary presses a few buttons, shaking his head as a few readings pop up. "Too small. They did have those drones, remember Sora?"

Azlyn smiles as the Keybearer nods. "You mean I get to smash robots!" she exclaims, happily rushing to grab her shield of the floor.

"Maybe it's better if we just slipped away while we have a chance," Telary suggests, his companions stopping in their tracks. "I mean, drawing attention to ourselves, which smashing all the drones would do, probably isn't our best move here."

"But smashing!" Azlyn protests.

"But not getting captured!" Sora shoots back as he begins to climb down the ladder. Even in all of this, he's trying his best to keep at least a basic sense of humor.

The trio moves quickly, not stopping until they reach the closed cargo bay doors. There's no stealthy way to open them up, so Telary just bites the bullet and jams his finger into the button. The door rises quickly, opening up and letting the light inside. Beyond is a crude path through blue stone canyons. Crystals jut out of the rock at random points, each one glowing softly.

"Maybe the crystals will help distract the drones' sensors," Telary whispers as the group makes their way out into the open. The sky seems far above them, surrounded on both sides by stone walls several feet higher than even the group's tallest member. "Okay, so the city is to the north. Given what I can remember of our last in-flight view, we should head along this canyon. Find a place to get our bearings again."

Sora ends up taking the lead, periodically checking the sky for signs that the group's pursuers have caught up to them. The skies remain clear through the entire trip within the canyon, not even the sound of pursuing drones carrying from the crash site. So far, it seems stealth is paying off as an option.

Finally, the trio reach a point where the canyon widens out into an open overlook. The blue sand plains of the world's surface stretch out several hundred feet below, another wall of rock rising high a few miles away. The mesas upon which Radiant Garden are built are even further away, a trek that would be excruciating to make on foot even without the threat of detection by their enemies. As if to remind them, the twin battleships of Bright Oasis hang in the sky like vigilant carrion waiting to pick off weakened prey.

"This sucks," Azlyn declares, kicking lightly at a nearby crystal. A low-pitched hum emanates from her point of impact. "There's no way we can make it all the way to the city. And probably there's not much hope for taking out either of those ships on our own. What now?"

"We can still follow this path," Telary points out, gesturing to another, very short canyon leading further into the mountain. "It won't be an easy trip, probably, and there's no way we'll get to the city with any speed."

"But?" Sora prompts his older friend.

"Yeah, I've got no buts for you, Sora," the wizard apologizes with a frustrated sigh. "Not a lot of good options here, I'm afraid."

The Keybearer growls, clenching his fists. People are in danger, the people most important to him, and there's nothing he can do about it. It's been a while since he's felt this helpless. At least when confronted by the savage skill of the armored warrior, he seemed to have been the only target.

"We still have to try, though," Azlyn says. "Even if the going's slow, it's no good to just stand around here and…"

Cutting herself off, the knight reaches behind her back. In one move, she grabs the shield hanging there and throws it into the air. It quickly soars upward and slams into the torso of a Bright Oasis drone, a gangly, humanoid machine with thin arms that end in sharpened pincer cables. The shield leaves a gash in the drones chest, wires spilling out crackling with electricity. With the machine temporarily stunned, Telary whips a fireball it it. The flame hits it in the head, decapitating the drone and sending it crashing down to the ground.

But that's not the end of trouble. Three more drones fly out of the crystal canyon, each one reaching out to capture. Sora springs forward, Kingdom Key flashing into his hand as he moves. He rushes past the trio of machines, slicing through them all in a single swing.

Sora, Azlyn, and Telary wait a few moments with held breaths, prepared for another attack. After a few moments of nothing, they can at least relax somewhat.

"Okay, so they know we're here," Sora says, shaking his head. "We need to get moving, those won't be the last drones we see." Sighing, he moves toward the shorter crevice with determined steps. No matter how far he must go or how long it takes, he _will_ get to Radiant Garden and help his friends.

As they'd imagined, it's the work of only a few seconds to make it through the next canyon and into another area. The trio stands at the top of a gently sloping hill, moving down toward the gaping mouth of a large cave. Interestingly enough, a metal structure stands beside the mouth. A large window stretches across the shack's front, but inside Sora can only see shadow. Beyond that, more open path slopes downward toward the city.

"What's going on here?" Azlyn asks, moving toward the structure with her usual insatiable curiosity. The boys follow along behind her, both just as inquisitive.

"Some kind of outpost," Telary notes. Closer now, he looks into the window. There's nothing terribly interesting inside, just a basically laid-out kitchen. "Looks kind of like a break room."

"So, what's in the cave?" Azlyn asks, stepping closer into the mountain opening.

"Unless it's another Gummi ship, it's not important," Sora says firmly. "There's more of a path right over there, and we have to keep moving forward or…"

A loud hum suddenly fills the air, stopping the Keybearer in his verbal tracks. It's much louder than any of the drones before, and when the trio turn around they can see why. Another flying machine has found them, but this is not the scrawny bots of before. Instead, a large and heavily armored machine hovers before them. Its right arm is equipped with a thick pincer for grabbing, and the left holds a bank of missiles. Colored blood red, the advanced drone peers down at Sora, Azlyn, and Telary with an eye of black obsidian.

"Uh oh!" Azlyn yells as the machine raises its left arm and fires off a single missile. The trio scatter, the projectile hitting the ground where they once stood and producing a large explosion.

Telary launches a Fira spell, but it just splashes against the big drone to no effect. The machine swivels in the air, firing off a second rocket. Unable to dodge, the wizard pulls up a magical barrier that prevents him from being reduced to bits.

Azlyn hurls her shield and it makes hard impact, to no effect other than scratching the drone's paint job. Sora rushes the robot, Keyblade held back to swing. The drone swiftly raises its claw-arm, shooting it out on a thick black cable. Sora tries to dodge, but before he can step aside he's caught up in the thick pincer.

Gritting his teeth, Telary unleashes a Firaga spell. The drone plays it smart, swinging Sora around in the spell's path. The fire crashes against him, and luckily his fairy-made clothes protect him from incineration. It still hurts, though.

Azlyn prepares to rush the drone, when she suddenly hears something behind her. She stops for just a moment, trying to figure out what it is. If she didn't know better, she'd think it was an engine of some kind…

Something goes flying through the air over the knight's head. It's long, thin, and trailing rocket exhaust as it pierces the drone's chest. Moments later, a bolt of lightning strikes the object's end, carrying electricity into the robot's chest and all throughout its body. Drained and broken, it crashes hard to the ground. Sora cries out in shock as he falls as well, still trapped in the metal pincer.

The noise from behind Azlyn gets close enough for her to positively identify it as an engine. She turns to see an open-air jeep rounding the mountain path. Two women are inside, one sitting behind the wheel to steer and the other standing up in the passenger seat. The car skids to a stop just a few feet away from Azlyn.

"Rinoa!" Sora says happily, despite his uncomfortable situation. He pushes against the claw, but can't get it to budge more than a few centimeters. "And Fang! Good to see you!"

The standing passenger, most likely this Fang person, jumps over the door without bothering to open it. The flowing blue garment that wraps around half her body ripples in the wind, revealing a skintight black sleeveless shirt underneath. Her dark boots crunch on the mountain path's hard gravel.

Rinoa gets out of the jeep normally. "And it's good to see that you're okay," she says with genuine feeling, walking over to the helpless Keyblade master. "Okay, if we all grab hold, we should be able to get this thing loose."

Working together, they manage to free Sora from his trap. He stands with Telary's help. "It was nice of you guys to show up."

"We were on our way to the garden when we saw your ship falling out of the sky," Rinoa explains. "Thought it was worth checking out."

"Lucky for you," Fang says in her usual deadpan.

"I'll say," Telary agrees. "That jeep will cut down on our expected travel time."

"Actually, our greatest time saver is all thanks to you," Rinoa says to the others' confusion. She gestures to the cave and shack. "This is an abandoned mining outpost. Those tunnels probably lead all the way back to the city."

"If we can find it," Fang notes skeptically.

Rinoa just gives her friend a playful smile. "Which we can if I'm right and there's a map in that outpost. Did you check it out?"

"No, not really," Sora reports. "We didn't know about the mines, and were in a hurry…"

The group quickly enters the shack, which proves just as unimpressive as its outward appearance would suggest. The trio are kind of lost, but Rinoa manages to quickly locate a large piece of rolled-up parchment. She moves to the closest table to spread it out.

"Could we maybe check that on the road?" Fang suggests from where she's standing in the doorway, spear in hand. "They might have run through the ship's complement of drones, but it won't be long before PSICOM's nosing around again."

Rinoa nods in agreement, placing the parchment under her arm and heading back to the jeep. Sora, Azlyn, and Telary follow. There are only two seats in the back, but Azlyn enthusiastically volunteers to sit on Telary's lap. Fang gets in the driver's seat, clicking on the headlights and moving into the cave.

The ride isn't very smooth, wheels clattering over wooden tracks intended for minecarts. The remnants of a wood and metal gate stand in the way ahead, but Fang simply barrels through them. The shaft starts sloping downward moments later, nothing but darkness lying outside the blazing headlight's reach. What the light does reach is unremarkable, nothing but a long stretch of purple stone. Iron columns are spaced out every few feet, stabilizing the underground tunnel.

"So," Sora says, leaning forward over Rinoa's shoulder. She's looking at the tunnel map with a small flashlight, but turns at the Keybearer's question. "I'm guessing you voted no on the 'attack Radiant Garden issue?"

"I wasn't exactly asked," she replies with a frown. "I was making my way back when the car exploded. I only escaped disintegration with a quick spell, and luckily had a potion to deal with the burns. Took me a long time to cobble together a transmitter, and then I called Fang on a frequency we had set up. By the time I was nearly back in the oasis, PSICOM was already mobilizing."

"Apparently your restoration committee poisoned Laguna," Fang adds. "Something about a cult formed around a madman who created the Heartless and sent them to attack Bright Oasis. PSICOM really went big on this one."

"Well," Azlyn says, recovering more quickly than her male companions, "I'd be itching to attack if I heard that too."

"They can't just say these things without evidence," Telary points out shakily. "I mean, right?"

"There seemed to be plenty of corroboration," Rinoa says, once again examining the tunnel map. The jeep passes a few spinoff tunnels, but they barrel right by without slowing. "Combined with Bright Oasis's history of clinging to fear and jumping at any shadow, it fits. Even the inevitable skeptics would find themselves drowned out."

"Well, that's depressing," Sora declares, leaning back with a frown on his face. Now that he has a clearer picture of what's going on, it only worries him more.

"There's going to be a junction tunnel coming up in a few hundred feet," Rinoa informs Fang. She slows down the car accordingly. "To the left, labeled DX-4."

"Ooh, I see it!" Azlyn points out, jumping up in her seat. Telary winces as she lands hard on his lap.

Fang makes the turn, sharp enough to push Sora up against his companions. Looking ahead, he's surprised to feel his worries easing. Somehow, he just knows that they're on the right path.

**KH-KH-KH**

Radiant Garden's underground proves itself far more fascinating that Kairi would have imagined it to be. With the light provided by an abundance of softly glowing crystals, all the details are easy to see. A vast and seemingly complex network of pipes stretches out in every direction, weaving in and out and around the purple rock that surrounds the group.

There's not a lot of time to stop and examine anything though, especially with Leon so intent on returning to the surface. Kairi doesn't blame him, of course. She feels the need to do something about PSICOM tugging at her from within.

Leon takes a sharp turn into a side tunnel, navigating the upward-sloping passage with no apparent concern for losing his footing. He slips, only the timely intervention of Riku keeping him from tumbling all the way back down.

"Whoa there," the silver-haired Keyblade wielder says, straightening Leon back on his feet. "We're all in a hurry, but it can't hurt to be careful."

"Why are we going this way, anyway?" Kairi asks. "Do you have any idea…"

"It's going up," Leon replies, already moving again with just as little regard. The tunnel is much smaller than the one they were traveling in, with less crystals providing lower illumination. Still, the Restoration Committee leader doesn't seem to care. "That's where we need to be. Hopefully we can find some way that leads back into the castle."

"Ya mean where that Ardyn and his goons are probably all congregatin'?" Cid points out. "C'mon, kid, ya gotta know that place'll be locked down tight."

"It hasn't been that long," Leon argues, stumbling again but managing to catch himself this time. "If he's caught off guard before he can set everything up the way he likes it, we might have a chance."

"And he'll still have a huge freaking army," Riku says darkly. "C'mon, man, you've got to know that we're beat for now."

"Don't you _ever_ say that!" Leon declares, suddenly stopping dead and throwing a cold look over his shoulder. "I won't be beaten by this, Riku. Radiant Garden _cannot_ fall again, not while I'm around to stop it."

"Sergeant Steiner," Aerith says to the prisoner, her voice much steelier than its usual soft tones. "How much military strength is PSICOM prepared to commit to this endeavor?"

"I told you, I won't be compelled to talk," the sergeant shoots back harshly. After a moment though… "But I will say this. Radiant Garden is now being considered the preeminent threat to Bright Oasis. Having seen how committed PSICOM was to keeping Heartless at bay for a decade, I wouldn't be surprised if the higher command echelons sent in everything they could spare."

"And that would probably get worse if we were holding their top official hostage," Aerith adds.

"Then what exactly are we supposed to do?" Leon barks back, punching the rock wall in frustration. "Do you propose we just give up? Turn ourselves in and bow down?"

"We need to think of an actual plan," Cid says. "And that's gonna take more time. Maybe even…" The mechanic sighs, shaking his head. "Look, I know this ain't gonna be a popular idea, but… I do have a Gummi ship socked away. Hidden, in case of…"

"You want to run away again?" Leon says through clenched teeth, his entire body tensed up. "Abandon our home after all we've done to take it back?"

"Leon's right," Kairi says. Everyone looks fairly surprised to hear her speak up, but she just gazes evenly back at them. "Radiant Garden is worth protecting, we can't just let it be…"

"The situation is completely different," Aerith interrupts, steely once again. "Having the breathing room to come up with a better plan is _not_ the same as leaving our world to ruin."

"What ruin?" Steiner butts in angrily. "You people act like PSICOM plans to just mow down your whole city and go back home. What this community needs is stability, and we can provide…"

"Yeah, 'stability'," Riku mocks the sergeant, complete with air quotes. "At gunpoint."

"Ya know what we could _really_ use right now?" Cid yells, cutting off all manner of exclamations from the other party members. "To _not_ be trapped underground arguing with each other. I hate to play the 'I got it worse' game, but I'll remind you all that I got a lady friend up there who's probably causing enough trouble to make them soldier boys question keeping her around. Can we just get a move on already?"

Though none of their arguments have been resolved, the group really have no choice but to move on after that. They continue up the tunnel, finally managing to find the light at the end. p They emerge into a significantly larger cave, one wall covered completely in dark metal. There's vastly more light in this place too, provided by huge lamps that have somehow maintained power over the years. A large open doorway stands before them.

That's the fortunate news. The _unfortunate_ news is that the entryway is completely blocked off by a giant drilling vehicle wedged inside.

"Yeah," Riku mutters defeatedly. "That seems about right."

**KH-KH-KH**

"Gate up ahead," Fang reports, though pretty much everyone can see what she's talking about. The jeep's headlights splash against a huge metal doorway, by all appearances shut tight. A set of stairs beside it lead to what looks like a control booth.

"Tel can take care of that," Sora declares as they come to a stop.

The wizard frowns at his younger friend. "Uh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Sora."

"Oh," his wife says, rolling her eyes as she opens the door and slides off his lap, "you know you can. Probably just computer stuff."

"This leads to one of the three main shafts," Rinoa explains, looking over the map once again. "From there, we can easily access any other tunnel. Then we just need to pick our best exit. I think we're closest to the Northern Barracks from this position."

Sora mumbles nonsensically in reply, already joining Azlyn and Telary in their walk over to the control booth. The trio climbs the stairs quickly, metal clanking softly underfoot.

"This is all just so wrong," Telary says quietly as they make their way up.

"What, the military takeover of our birthplace by a tyrannical foreign power?" Azlyn asks.

"Yeah, that," her husband agrees. "But also, and try not to clown me on this, but also the fact that when we get back to the garden, we'll be fighting a large scale battle against other humans. Call me crazy, but I prefer it when I don't have to think about our enemies in terms other than 'evil creatures of pure dark evil'."

Sora nods, stopping in front of the control booth's doorway. Like the shack on the surface, there's a large window they can barely see into. He taps Kingdom Key against the door, satisfied to hear the loud _click_ even given the circumstances.

When he opens the door, a Neoshadow dives for him. Telary yelps and steps back, but the Keybearer barely acts surprised. He just swings his weapon straight through the Heartless. It disappears in a burst of dark energy.

"Well, that was certainly more traditional," Sora jokes as he steps into the booth. The light switch he tries doesn't work, and all power appears to be shut down. "Well, that could be a problem."

"Not necessarily," Telary says, squeezing into the room beside his younger friend. The wizard places both hands on the large computer set beneath the booth's large window. He mutters a few words, sparkly of lightning shooting from his hands directly into the machine. Suddenly, everything lights up.

"When did you learn to do that?" Sora asks once his eyes have recovered, looking over the room in awe.

"The thing about the universe not being in peril," the wizard says as he begins to boot the computer up, "is that it leaves a lot more time for experimenting. The charge probably won't last much longer than a few minutes. Now, just give me a minute to figure out how to open that door…"

"I've got an idea!" Azlyn declares, reaching past her husband to a large lever sticking up out of the computer console. She gives it a pull, and suddenly the sound of the door swinging open echoes through the cavern outside. "Ta da!"

"Thanks, Az!" Telary tells his wife with genuine pride. He turns away from the console, only for Sora to shoulder past him and take his place.

He scans the monitor, not quite knowing why it is that he's got this sudden urge. After a moment, he finds a link to security feeds. He clicks it, a handful of video images springing to life onscreen. There should be more, but many are blacked out, probably either from lack of power or equipment failure. On one of the active feeds though, a group of several individuals can be seen standing around. Sora clicks that section, bringing the feed into full screen.

"Hey, that's Kairi and Riku!" Telary declares. "And Cid, Aerith, Leon, some guy they're holding at gunpoint…"

"Steiner," Sora offers, frowning. The sergeant had seemed like such a nice guy, too. "Anyway, we've gotta find where this feed is coming from."

"The tunnel number's here in the corner," Azlyn points out, tapping the screen victoriously. A few moments later, all power to the booth dies once again. The monitor goes dark.

"I think I got it!" Telary assures his companions.

"Then what are we waiting for!" Sora declares, pushing past Azlyn and Telary. He heads for the door with haste, the thrill of seeing his friends alive powering his steps. Unfortunately, the power proves too much. He slips, pitching forward over the outside walkway's railing and falling to the ground below.

Sora closes his eyes, waiting for the pain to come. Instead, a brief flash of light comes through his eyelids, and suddenly the Keybearer feels considerably lighter. Rather than a nasty fall, he simply floats softly down to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Telary calls down, drowning out concerned noises from Rinoa and Fang.

"Yeah!" Sora looks up at his friend, grinning. "You got me just in time."

"That fall looked like it was going to be nasty," Rinoa comments. She looks up to where Azlyn and Telary are descending the stairs. "Quick thinking, Telary, using Feather Fall like that."

"That's my man!" Azlyn proudly declares, patting her husband on the shoulder. "A wizard in and out of the bedroom!"

"Ugh," Sora says, ,making a face. "I survive my fall, only for you to end up punishing me anyway?"

They quickly convey their discovery to Rinoa, who doesn't take long to find the correct tunnel on the map. Their destination set, Fang puts on the gas and peels out.

**KH-KH-KH**

"Could someone get inside?" Kairi suggests, studying the drill just as intently as the other party members. "Maybe the key's still in there?"

"Look how crumpled the door is," Riku notes with a frown. "Not sure how we could force that open. Maybe a dark fire blast?"

"Naw," Cid declares out of hand. "Those things are damned near fireproof, just in case anybody blunders into some magma."

"It can't be _that_ heavy," Leon says, idly kicking at a tread. "If we all pushed together…"

"This is just great," Steiner mumbles to himself. Aerith isn't holding his gun on him at the moment, but even so, there's not a lot of hope for his escape. He could run back the way they came, or try his luck in one of the other offshoot tunnels, but they all just lead downward. Escaping that way would just lead to him being lost underground. Not a fate the sergeant is eager to contemplate.

"I'm sorry if this is inconvenient for you," Riku comments, hanging back now and letting the others argue it out. "I mean, it's not like any of this is your fault or anything."

Steiner takes a swipe at the younger man with his cuffed arms, but its halfhearted at best. Riku just steps lightly out of the way, then rolls his eyes.

Sighing, Leon just turns his back on the stuck vehicle and leans against it. He looks down, trying hard to keep his emotions in check. To not think of what's probably going on aboveground, or what this attack means in terms of Rinoa. He can't be weak now, not like he was during the Fall. He's older, strengthened by time and experience.

"I know," Aerith says. Leon looks up, not having heard her approach. "I know it seems bad, Squall. But we'll get through it, we'll find a way. That's what we do."

"She's right, Leon," Kairi adds, giving the man her best smile. "This isn't the end. I don't know how exactly, but I know Sora will come through for us. In fact, he's on his way now."

Leon offers her a smile of his own in thanks. It's slight, barely visible, but there. For as pessimistic as he usually is, the man admires that kind of hope in a person. Irrational though it may be. Sora has a tendency to come through, especially with Azlyn and Telary at his side, but even the Keybearer couldn't…

"Is that an engine?" Cid says, stepping closer to the blocked doorway. He sniffs the air, eyes widening. "And I definitely smell diesel. Something's coming!"

Everyone gathers around, Aerith making sure to position Steiner in front of her. Whoever's coming may be more inclined to take the sergeant's side when they arrive. Finally, the engine sounds are coming from just beyond the trapped vehicle. The air is tense, no one sure what to expect…

"Kairi!" Sora's voice calls through the doorway, echoing around the cavern. Everyone (excepting Steiner, of course) breathes a sigh of relief.

"Sora!" the Princess of Heart cries.

"We're here, Sora!" Riku yells back. "I'm here too, not that you really seem to care."

"I sure don't, Rik!" Azlyn playfully declares.

"Azlyn…" Telary admonishes her.

"Squall?"

The sound of Rinoa's voice ignites a fire in Leon's heart. She's here, and she sounds concerned. He instantly knows there's no way she could have been involved in this attack. Just like that, he has hope again.

"The drill is stuck," he calls, disrupting the building banter between Riku and Azlyn. "But maybe Telary has a spell?"

The other side is quiet for a few moments, the wizard obviously contemplating his options. Everyone feels the tension for those seconds, all of them hoping a solution can be found.

"Oh, of course!" Telary declares, actually clapping in excitement. "I'm going to cast Feather Fall on the drill, reduce its mass. Could be enough to get it going. Okay, we'll push, and you pull. On three…"

The wizard counts down, and sparks of energy surround the trapped vehicle. Everyone on either side takes it in their firmest grip, even Steiner. They work together, the drill feeling light as, well, a feather. It takes a few moments, and some truly awful scraping noises, but soon enough the group manages to remove the obstruction.

The cavern comes alive with the happy sounds of everyone greeting one another. Sora of course goes immediately for Kairi, picking the red head up in his arms and spinning her around in the air. Telary hugs his sister once she's back on the ground, Azlyn and Riku exchanging quips at close range. Cid and Aerith join the kids after a moment, everyone happy to see one another.

Leon hardly notices, only looking at Rinoa as she makes her way over to him. "I can't help but feel," she says, "that I owe you some kind of apology for all of this."

"You didn't have anything to do with it," Leon replies, unconsciously reaching out to touch her soft shoulder. He looks into her brown eyes, alive as ever despite the circumstances.

"They tried to kill me too," she reveals, sighing. "If I'd been faster recovering, or come right back to the garden…"

"You survived," he interrupts her, the other hand grabbing her other shoulder. "That's important. And I assume you came back to help?"

"I'll offer what I can," Rinoa says, pointing back at the silently standing Fang. "Most of the old resistance crew will probably be busy dealing with things in Bright Oasis, but I'm here. It's going to be a long, hard fight…"

Leon shakes his head vehemently. "No, it won't. I'm going to get to Ardyn, soon as possible. He's the one in charge of all of this. I'll make him admit we had nothing to do with Laguna, and then…"

"It's not that simple, Squall," Rinoa argues, stepping out of her old lover's reach. She regards him steadily. "You don't know the kind of forces PSICOM are committing to this. By now, they must have soldiers locking down ever district. They think they lost one leader, any resources they can spare will go into protecting the one they've got. You'd be in enemy hands before you could blink. You are the most important person to Radiant Garden, Squall. The one everyone will know they can depend on. You're going to need to stay underground, formulate a…"

"And let _them_ keep their hands wrapped around my peoples' throats?" Leon shoots back. "While I stay hidden and safe like a _coward…_ "

"It's not cowardly to live and inspire," Aerith cuts in. Leon and Rinoa turn to see that everyone has developed an interest in their conversation. "To be a leader. If there's going to be hope during this occupation…"

"Don't call it that," Leon barks. "I won't let this turn into…"

"It's too late for that, kid," Cid cuts in. He looks far more serious than anyone present can ever recall seeing him before. "They're here, and they're gonna stay for a while. And they'll be focused on finding all of us Restoration Committee leaders. Which is why I stand by the idea of getting to my Gummi and getting out."

"You have a way offworld?" Telary asks the mechanic. "Good. Because if this is turning into a stretched out build a resistance kind of thing, Sora can't stick around."

"The hell I can't!" Sora declares, stamping his foot. "My friends are in trouble, and…"

"And Maleficent's back in the world destroying business," Azlyn interrupts, everyone gasping in shock at the news. "That means Sora, and I guess Riku and Kairi, need to be out there sealing Keyholes. Maybe it's weird that _I'm_ saying this, but there's a big picture to think about."

"Maybe it would be better for you," Rinoa says, quiet but still firm. "I can hold things here…"

"I refuse to leave," Leon says, rock hard determination in every word. "But if Sora needs to go, and any more members of the committee want to, then fine. Not me."

"Then I guess we're settled," Aerith says, looking over the group. Her gaze lands on Cid in the end. "Tell us where your ship is. I suppose we should split up…"

"Hang on!" Riku calls, from within the drill's cabin. The right side door is open, the lefthand still too beat up. "I played a hunch, checked out the radio equipment in this thing. Its range is huge, and there's distress signals coming all over. If you want there to be enough people surviving to resist, it might be a good idea to help them out before we leave."

"The Keyblades are our biggest firepower right now," Leon says, looking to Telary. "They don't need to get involved beyond today, but if Sora can help…"

"I'm going to help," Sora declares, giving Telary a brief glare as he steps in front of the wizard. "Try and stop me."

"My ship's hidden near the western wall," Cid chimes in. "Most likely we'll be passing through a lot of heavy zones anyway. We'll see who we can pick up on the way."

"So then I take it we're heading up top?" Fang says. Everyone turns to look at the woman who's so far stayed out of he discussion. "Because we're gonna be packed in tight."

"We'll make it work," Leon declares, already moving forward. Rinoa is right at his side.

Sora, Azlyn, Telary, Riku, and Kairi end up walking together as well. "I'm really sorry, Sora," Telary apologizes. "I want to help too, but there really is more at stake right now than just this place."

"I know where I'm needed," Sora admits with a heavy sigh. The Restoration Committee are piling into the jeep, Aerith and Cid looping Steiner's cuffs around the seat to impede any potential escape. "But we've got to do _something_."

"We'll do our best while we can," Riku assures his young friend. There's one particular rescue he's keen on making in the city. He climbs into the jeep, managing to wedge himself in the back. Azlyn and Telary follow, the knight ending up basically straddling both men.

"Kairi."

Sora's voice snaps the Princess of Heart to attention. They're the only two not yet in the vehicle. The Keybearer clambers in, pressed right up against the left side door. He pats his lap to offer his girlfriend a seat. She obligingly climbs into it, silent all the while. As the overstuffed vehicle starts moving, she leans back against the man she loves, lets him wrap his arms around her stomach. Enjoying his touch while she still can.

Kairi knows where she's needed, too.


	14. Another Fall

For the first time in her life, Yuffie finds herself wishing for the Heartless.

She, Quistis, and a dozen barely trained Defense Force recruits are holed up in the northern barracks, doing the best they can to prepare themselves for the inevitable moment when their defenses are finally breached. Bullets striking stone and metal outside provide a constant, unnerving soundtrack.

"Got anything back yet?" Yuffie asks Quistis, currently working furiously at the small transmitter set up on a nearby table. As for the ninja, she leans against the wall and tries not to flinch at every sound of gunfire.

"I think I got something," the older woman replies, frowning at her equipment. "It's faint though, like it's coming from far away. Outside the city?"

Yuffie shrugs, about to reply when she's interrupted by a sudden, jarring _lack_ of noise. No more bullets pound the wall. The women look at each other, then both of their gazes swivel to the staircase. A few moments later, Irvine comes down from the upper level.

"They stopped," he announces, scratching his head with the barrel of a pistol. "Still got us surrounded, though." The marksman pauses, looking back upstairs and nodding as someone speaks to him. "And one of 'em wants to see ya outside, Q."

Quistis sighs, shaking her head tiredly. "Well, I guess I'm not in a position to argue, am I?"

"I'll come with," Yuffie offers. "Better facing the guns head-on than sitting around in here."

"Sure, Yuffie," the blonde replies. "Irvine, I want you watching at the windows just in case. You see any funny business, don't hesitate to do what you've gotta do."

The best way out to the courtyard is through the garage, just a few feet down the hall. Yuffie and Quistis walk quickly, neither saying anything. Until they're in the garage itself, surrounded by empty jacks, dormant jeeps, and fearful yet prepared Defense Force soldiers.

"You really think they'll try and plug us?" Yuffie asks Quistis. Ahead of them, a young man prepares to open the garage door.

"No," the instructor replies quickly. The two women stop in front of the door. "If this was about force, they'd just blast us out of here. I don't think that would be a problem. They're looking to negotiate. If whoever is in command doesn't bust out the phrase 'a peaceful solution' in the first minute, I'll give you a quarter of my paycheck for the next year."

"If we've still got paychecks to get," Yuffie replies with a smirk, "you're _so on_ , Q. Open up the door, kid."

The door seems to rise incredibly slowly, all of the moment's tension and dormant adrenaline building a perception that's hard to ignore. Five seconds later, light shines into the garage. Across a few feet of bare concrete, half a dozen PSICOM soldiers stand together. Their weapons are all pointed at the ground, a good sign for the moment. Before Yuffie and Quistis can make a move, one of them, a woman, steps forward.

It's immediately clear that she's different from her comrades. Instead of green and gold armor, hers is red with a few grey parts. She has no weapons in hand, though the pistol holstered at her hip is hard to miss. After a few steps, she slowly reaches up to her helmet, nonthreatening as possible. She removes it with a slight _hiss_ of releasing air, revealing a striking face, high cheek bones, and light brown hair cut in a neat bob.

"Hello," she says, her voice oddly pleasant for the current circumstances. "My name is Beatrix, I'm a captain in PSICOM's Third Division. I've been sent on behalf of Bright Oasis to negotiate."

"Negotiate what, exactly?" Yuffie asks with a suspicious glare. "Our funeral arrangements?"

"Yuffie!" Quistis admonishes her younger friend.

The captain doesn't seem to mind, letting out a surprisingly warm laugh. "No, nothing so gruesome. Though I can't say that I blame you for your suspicion. My job here is to _prevent_ casualties, ladies, not cause them. The best thing for everyone involved here is…"

"A peaceful solution," Yuffie finishes for her, smirking at Quistis.

"That still counts," the blonde instructor whispers, before turning her attention fully back to Captain Beatrix. "And what, exactly, is said solution?"

"It's simple," Beatrix explains patiently. "All you have to do is turn over any members of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee that you have hiding in your barracks. A task that won't be terribly difficult, since you both so graciously decided to come out and talk."

"Yeah, _talk_!" Yuffie spits back to the captain. "Not lay down and…"

Quistis holds up a hand, stopping her partner's rant cold. Her eyes are locked on Beatrix, steady and unwavering. "If we come with you, everyone else in the barracks are free and clear? No consequences?"

"Not if they're willing to cooperate with the new leadership we'll be establishing," the captain says. "And of course the young man with his rifle aimed at my head will have to stand down. Not that I begrudge you your reassurance." She thrusts a thumb at the squadron of soldiers behind her. "Would be hypocritical of me, wouldn't it?"

"What exactly is your problem with the Restoration Committee, specifically?" Quistis asks. "I can't see how we've done anything to…"

"I simply have my orders, Miss Quistis," Beatrice interrupts, shrugging. "Any specifics, you'll have to take up with someone higher in the command structure."

"So, you're just a pigeon!" Yuffie yells. "Ha, I'll bet you'd…"

"Again, Yuffie," Quistis declares, "you're not making this better. I don't like what's happening here, but I'd like to see my people be endangered even less."

"You can't actually be considering this?" the ninja shoots back, hands on hips. "This bitch comes along and asks politely for us to give up, and you just _let_ her?"

"It's better than the alternative," Quistis argues, her shoulders drooping. "Maybe all this can be sorted out if we have a chance to talk. We've got to be smart about this, Yuffie. Use our heads, not just our hearts."

"I'd listen if I were you," Beatrix throws in. The interjection earns her glares from _both_ women, but she hardly seems concerned. With an army literally behind her, who wouldn't be? "And I'd make my mind up quickly if I were you. My offer won't last forever. I'd say three minutes is plenty generous, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, you're _so_ gracious," Yuffie says, rolling her eyes. She turns to face Quistis fully, her back deliberately to the PSICOM forces. "C'mon, Q. Where's your spirit? Your confidence? Your…"

"Your _brain_?" the older woman declares coldly. "I know you're confident Yuffie, and I know you hate the idea of submission. I do too! But maybe this is the best thing for right now. It would be a valuable tool for information gathering, at least. We don't even know why the hell they're even attacking the garden, and I'd imagine figuring that out is a pretty important component to any kind of peace, hm?"

Yuffie is silent for a long moment, grinding her teeth angrily as she thinks Quistis's words over. What she's saying makes some sense, and besides that, there's the other Restoration Committee members to consider. What's happened to Leon, Aerith, or Cid? Or Kairi and Riku? It goes against everything she's ever wanted to believe about herself, but…

She sighs. "Okay, okay. I guess you've got a point. But this isn't us giving up, okay? We're just taking some time to think."

"Sure, Yuffie," Quistis replies with a smile. The ninja smiles back, but can't help the feeling that sprouts inside her. Like she's just being condescended to.

"One minute left," Beatrix reminds the pair, though whether it's to be helpful or annoying is unclear.

"Yeah, yeah," Yuffie replies, rolling her eyes as she steps forward. "Just slap the cuffs on us, or whatever."

"Stand down, Irvine!" Quistis calls back up to the bunker window, she gets no reply, however. He simply stands stock still, rifle pointed down at the PSICOM captain.

"Problem?" Beatrix asks, stepping forward. A trio of PSICOM soldiers follow in her footsteps, their rifles slightly raised. She looks up, smiling despite the threat hanging over her. "Well, it looks to me like we have ourselves a maverick. Ah, and everything was going so well up until this point."

"Just relax, okay?" Yuffie suggests, glaring at the captain. "C'mon, Irv. I don't like this anymore than you do, but we've gotta do what we've gotta do."

"I completely agree," Irvine calls down from above. "Ain't nobody takin' anybody anywhere without a fight."

"Wouldn't _be_ much of one," Beatrix points out. "We've got the best technology, weaponry, and training in the world. What is it exactly that you think…?"

Irvine fires, smoke billowing from his gun's barrel. It falls down to the courtyard, spreading further and thicker as the wind starts to get it. Beatrix throws her arm over her exposed face, stumbling back as she breathes in the smoke and starts a coughing fit.

The rest of the PSICOM soldiers react with little delay, rifles raised. But it takes a moment for their helmet's infrared systems to activate, and by then Yuffie and Quistis are both inside the barrack's garage. They duck to either side of the door, just as bullets start flying inside.

"The next time I see that hat-wearing prick," Quistis shouts over the noise, "he's on latrine duty for the next…"

Suddenly, one of the greener male recruits speaks up. "Uh, ma'am. Not to be insubordinate or anything, but he knows something you don't."

"Oh yeah?" Quistis shoots back with a pointed glare. "And what exactly do…?"

The sound of a roaring engine filters in from outside, soon joined by a lot of yelling. Gunfire ceases entering the garage completely. Yuffie doesn't waste a second of the reprieve, diving into the courtyard with one hand in her pouch. Laughing, she flings a handful of shuriken at the nearest soldiers.

Meanwhile, Azlyn is the first one out of the jeep. Holding her shield up to block a few shots, she gives Telary just enough time to work up an Aero spell. Wind whips around the courtyard, spreading the remaining smoke further and staggering a few PSICOM soldiers in the process. One soldier almost manages to stand his ground, but Azlyn's shield crashing into his chest finishes the job.

Riku and Kairi quickly jump out as well, both of their Keyblades already out. Opening his hand, Riku fires off a trio of small Dark Fires that each manage to knock one soldier down. Kairi just moves, sidestepping a frantic shot and smacking the woman who fired it down hard. Briefly, the Princess of Heart wonders why this particular soldier wasn't wearing a helmet.

By the time Sora exits the jeep, leaving Steiner to struggle uselessly against his restraints, it's pretty much all over. Two PSICOM soldiers are in full retreat, jumping into their own vehicle and speeding away. Telary gets rid of the remaining smoke, and the main team gathers while most of the Defense Force soldiers rush to secure the entrance and round up the defeated PSICOM forces.

Things are more peaceful now, but the ships hovering overhead, and the far off sounds of many struggles all throughout the city, keep everyone reminded that they are far from achieving victory.

"…but Sora needs to get offworld," Leon says, finishing up the explanation he'd given Yuffie and Quistis for Bright Oasis's attack. "Most of the Restoration Committee will go with him to Disney Castle where they can regroup. I'm staying here."

"And why exactly do you get to stay behind?" Yuffie asks, gazing disapprovingly at her older friend. "I'm not looking to run away any more than you are!" She turns to look at Quistis, who already has her mouth open to speak. "I'm not taking any of that 'big picture what's best' crap, either."

"We're a committee, Yuffie," Aerith says gently. "That means we make decisions together. By a vote, if we have to."

"Whatever you're gonna do," Fang suggests, looking all around warily, "make sure to hurry it along. I don't know why PSICOM hasn't gotten reinforcements here yet, but it won't be long until they do."

"Okay, so a vote then, fine," Yuffie acquiesces, though not without rolling her eyes. "All in favor of we all stay here and make these bastards regret the day they ever set foot in our city, say aye! AYE!"

The silence of her comrades speaks volumes.

"Well then, I guess we won't waste any more time," Leon says, looking at each of his fellow restorers in turn. "Good luck everyone. I'm… I'm sorry that I put you all in this position to begin with. I should have…"

Plenty of people look ready to cut the committee leader off before he can finish apologizing, but they don't get the chance. A shot rings out, the loud _crack_ echoing in the air. Leon gasps, his body briefly going stiff before falling limply toward the ground. Sora and Riku are close enough to catch him, keep him from going down completely.

It isn't hard to trace the bullet's path. Captain Beatrix, her pistol wrested from the hands of a distracted recruit, stands stock still as the remaining smoke dissipates above the weapon's barrel. She's instantly tackled to the ground by a trio of recruits, weapon flung away across the yard.

Everyone starts crowding in on the fallen leader, but Quistis manages to keep her head enough to push most back. Aerith is right next to the fallen man, her trained eyes already checking the damage. There's a neat hole in the back of Leon's leather jacket, barely wider than a thumb.

Aerith looks up at Telary, standing in front of Leon and looking down. "It didn't go through," the wizard reports with a grimace. His face is pale, but he holds himself together. "It's still in there."

"Just heal him!" Sora suggests, still holding his friend upright. "Use Cure!"

"Not with the bullet still inside," Aerith explains with a practiced healer's calm. "That could do even more damage, and we'd still have to get it out eventually."

"Sirs!" a recruit by the courtyard's entrance calls. "Vehicles incoming!"

"We've got to get him out of here," Aerith says. "Sora, Riku, help me put him in our jeep."

"He wanted to stay!" Yuffie points out as another flurry of activity begins.

"Not in this condition," Quistis says. She takes a deep breath, clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes. "Take him to the ship. I'll stay."

"Fang will stay with you," Rinoa says, jumping into the jeep next to Leon. Cid's behind the wheel, Yuffie beside him. "Try and gather together whoever you can. You have the underground map, use it to find a spot. I've got it mostly memorized, I can find you later."

"Go ahead and go!" Sora calls up to his friends.

"Take the backstreets," Telary urges them. He and the others are already rushing toward one of the PSICOM vehicles still parked by the gate. "We'll move straight through town, keep the attention on us!"

The offworlders pile into the open-air truck, more heavily armored than the Restoration Committee's jeep and painted dark grey. Azlyn jumps in the driver seat, revving the engine with a look of grim determination. Telary sits beside her, the Keyblade wielders in the back. They take off at top speed, turning out of the courtyard and directly into the path of three armored trucks filled with soldiers.

Telary sits up, hand outstretched. Grimacing, he calls upon the power of Thunder. Huge bolts of bright white energy streak into the hoods of the enemy vehicles, backlash from the overwhelming power blowing one car's engine outright. The other manages to hold on, but the driver is shocked into swerving hard to the right. The third car plows into its side.

There's not much of a gap between the two crashes, but Azlyn hardly seems concerned about that. She swerves hard to the left, down a small alley that just barely fits their vehicle. A wooden wall stands at the other end, but she merely barrels through it and onto one of Radiant Garden's wider residential streets.

A squad of PSICOM soldiers in green and gold move about the street, wielding metal clubs and doing their best to urge the citizens back into their homes. Most people are acting cooperatively, terrified looks on their faces as they do their best to just get indoors. But some, mostly younger men and women, aren't content to go quietly. They use what they have at their disposal, rocks and rakes and in one case even a set of wind chimes.

Unfortunately, all of their zeal is rather negated by their enemies' superior armor. While the soldiers may flinch at repeated blows, all it takes is one hit of their own to down the unarmored attackers. Luckily there have been no guns pulled, but the situation is certainly in danger of escalating.

Sora can't watch it happening for one more second. "Hey!" he calls out, summoning the Keyblade and standing up in the car. "Leave them alone!"

Before he has the chance to do much more threatening, Azlyn is already gunning the engine. The Keybearer nearly falls right out of the car, but luckily Riku is fast enough to pull his best friend back inside. Sora watches with a grimace as they leave the citizens of Radiant Garden behind to their fate.

And so it's oddly uplifting when he notices that most of the PSICOM soldiers are headed for their vehicles. The sound of engines gunning fills the street, and soon the Keybearer and his companions are being pursued.

Azlyn plants her foot down on the accelerator and makes no plans to let up. The car rockets forward, and thankfully most people are out of the way. The same can't be said for mailboxes and planters though. Those she simply barrels through without a thought. The knight turns sharply down another residential street in a similar state to the one before. Grimacing, she honks her horn to let people know it's time to move it.

A couple of PSICOM soldiers don't seem to get the warning, instead pulling up their rifles and unleashing a torrent of gunfire against the incoming vehicle. The bullets simply bounce off the military-grade glass and grille, but Azlyn can't help but mentally give them a few points for trying. She's already going top speed, but she lets off for a moment before gunning it again, just for that extra little satisfaction when she barrels through them.

"Azlyn!" Telary shouts over the sound of the car bumping one of the stationary PSICOM vehicles to the side. "Those were people!"

"Yeah, people who were _shooting at us_!" the knight hastens to point out. The street curves up ahead, and she follows it.

Speaking of following, Kairi, Riku, and Sora have their eyes fixed on the pair of PSICOM trucks following them. There's been no activity from them so far, but they have managed to gain some ground.

A PSICOM soldiers stands up in the back of the left car, hoisting a large mechanism atop his shoulder. The pursuit is on another straightaway for a few feet now, a perfect time to strike if that's what the soldiers plan to do.

Sora isn't having it. Despite all the turbulence that comes from being in a car chase, he manages to once again rise to his feet. Summoning the Keyblade, he draws his left forearm perpendicular to his body, using it to steady and aim the blade. It takes a second for him to get a bead on the rocket launcher soldier. Once he's got it, the Keybearer summons a Fira spell that goes blazing back towards their pursuer.

Only perhaps a millisecond before that, the PSICOM soldier gets his shot off. He's knocked clear out of his vehicle by Sora's spell quickly after, but the missile is still coming.

Riku holds up his hand, gritting his teeth and calling upon the largest dark shield he's ever made. The missile impacts against it, exploding in a shower of smoke and fire.

The PSICOM drivers aren't prepared for the smoke cloud. They each drift closer, their bumpers colliding and throwing them off even further. Sensing an advantage, Kairi throws back a Blizzara spell, aiming it at the ground just behind the heroes' car. The cobblestone street is covered in ice, solidifying just in time for their pursuers to skid right through.

The right car hits most of the ice, momentarily increasing its speed as it drifts left. It comes out in front of its partner, driving them both hard to the left. They go flying together into a park, destroying several flowering bushes and a small fountain.

Azlyn's next turn finds the group on a winding downhill road that curves twice before reaching a drop-off. Up ahead, the blue stone plateau that supports the castle can be seen, the structure itself looming several feet above. Telary fires off a Firaga that softens the guardrail, and the heroes' truck crashes right through it. They fly right over the road's next level, falling at least fifty feet downward. Feather Fall saves the day again, and they land with minimal fuss.

Up ahead, a path of crude blue stone drifts off the main road. Azlyn turns on to it, slowing down enough to keep them from careening over the side. She follows the rougher road downward a few feet, before it levels off into a dusty trail that follows the bowl-shaped canyon's curve.

"Look at it," Kairi points out with disgust in her voice. Sora and Riku follow her gaze, up to the huge PSICOM ship that hovers over the Radiant Garden castle. "They think they can just come in and take whatever they want. That they can just bully around the people who live here, because they have bigger guns. It isn't right."

"No, it isn't," Sora agrees, putting a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "And what's worse is, we're just gonna leave it behind. I felt bad about that before, but now that they don't have Leon…"

Things are quiet again for a few moments. Kairi puts her hand over Sora's, pursing her lips briefly like she always does when a difficult subject is on the horizon. "You're right. And that's why…"

"We got it!" Azlyn announces triumphantly. Everyone rushes to look ahead, except Kairi who slumps back against her seat.

There's a hole in the canyon wall a few yards ahead, plenty large enough for the group's car to fit through. They drive slowly into a vast cave, its ceiling at least a few hundred feet high. A Gummi ship, considerably only slightly bigger than Mickey's _Valiant_ , sits within the cloak of darkness. Azlyn turns left at the cave entrance, driving a few feet before bringing the group's vehicle to a stop.

"We're here!" she announces with a small giggle, still a bit high from the adrenaline rush. "Fare comes to six-thousand munny."

"Great job, Az," Telary congratulates his wife, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"I gotta hand it to you, Azlyn," Riku says, climbing out of the truck without bothering to open the door. "And it may just be the adrenaline talking…"

"Oh, Rik," the knight says, faux-dreamily. "Stop it, you're gonna make me blush!"

"But for the first time," the older man continues, "you being such a complete and total psychopath really worked out well for us."

There's no more time for commentary, as the Restoration Committee's jeep swerves into the cave. As it parks close to the Gummi ship, the offworld heroes gather on its left side. Aerith and Rinoa sit in the back, Leon slumped against the black-haired woman, while the brunette applies pressure to the wound with a few bandages they must have hand inside the jeep. Leon's leather jacket is gone, and the back of his white shirt is stained with dark red blood.

Idly, Riku notices that Steiner had been gagged at some point. He's not even struggling against his restraints anymore. For the first time, the sergeant sincerely looks defeated.

Cid is the first out of the car, quickly rushing over to a nearby section of the cave wall. He places his hand against it, and an approximately hand-sized section of the rock slides open. He reaches inside, grabbing a remote. He clicks something, and the Gummi ship's entrance ramp begins sliding open.

Getting Leon out of the jeep is a touchy affair, but with Sora and Riku's help they manage. The boys, with Aerith still doing her best to keep the bandages held down, manage to get the committee leader into the ship's hold. There's a stretcher waiting with a cot atop it, where they gently lay Leon down.

"It's not fair," Yuffie comments bitterly, punching the closest wall. "He wanted to stay more than any of us, and that's saying something!"

"Bright Oasis achieved a lot of victories today," Rinoa comments, calm despite the tears that run down her pale face. "But this might be its greatest one. They robbed Radiant Garden of its hero."

"Quistis will do a fine job," Aerith declares, changing out the soaked bandages for a fresh set she found onboard. "She knows how to train soldiers, to motivate people." The healer's breath hitches, her sob barely held back.

"But Leon was the peoples' hero," Kairi declares, drawing shocked looks from everyone. She stands at the bottom of the ramp, her fists held tightly. The Princess of Heart is visibly shaking. Sora quickly moves toward her, arms outstretched. But she holds up one hand, stopping him in his tracks. "They looked up to him, they trusted him."

"They'll understand, Kairi," Telary assures his sister. Approaching her from behind, he manages to place a hand on her shoulder. "Rinoa and Quistis will make sure they know he's coming back."

"But what until then?" Kairi asks, looking up at the wizard with hardened eyes. "They need a hero, someone who can inspire them. And if they can't have the man they trust…" She takes a deep breath, looking straight at Sora as she speaks her next words. In a flash of light, Destiny's Embrace appears in her hand. "Maybe they'll be able to make do with someone wielding a mythical weapon."

Everyone reacts with shock at Kairi's statements, a flurry of responses rising from the group. She says nothing, regarding everyone evenly. After a sweep of everyone, her gaze rests on Sora.

"The worlds need Keyblade wielders to protect them," she says, and Sora can't help but feel this speech is for him alone. "Riku and Sora can do that, they've done it before and they can again. But, right now, Radiant Garden needs a hero for itself, all its own. I was born on this world, my grandmother lived in this city all her life, and I will _not_ let Bright Oasis have it without a fight."

Silence reigns, until the sounds of the Gummi ship's systems coming to life remind everyone present of the current situation and its urgency.

"There's not a lot of time to argue," Aerith says firmly. "And to be honest… Kairi is right. She hasn't been around long, but after these past few days enough people know her that having her here might make a difference."

"Anything that boosts morale can be a crucial advantage in a situation like this," Rinoa concurs. She offers Kairi a small smile. "I'd be proud to have you at my side."

"Yeah," Azlyn chimes in, affectionately punching the redhead on her shoulder. "You give 'em all hell for us, huh?"

"You can do it," Riku says, nodding at his young friend. "I believe in you."

"I hate having to be apart from you," Telary says through a sudden trickle of tears. His hand his still on his sister's shoulder, so he gives it a firm squeeze. "But I believe in you too."

Sora still says nothing, just staring Kairi down with a blank expression on his face. Riku speaks up again, suggesting they get Steiner on board if the hostage is going with them. Everyone explodes into a frenzy of activity then, most getting in one last encouraging word to Kairi before moving up to the ship's higher levels. Steiner, still silent, is chained to another cot.

Through it all, Sora doesn't move a muscle, his eyes not leaving Kairi for one second. Soon, the pair are left standing alone, but for Aerith keeping an eye on Leon, and Rinoa brushing her hand across her old lover's face.

Kairi is the first to speak, to move toward Sora with her arms open. He doesn't hesitate to let her, wrapping the redhead up tightly in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Sora," she apologizes, her voice vibrating against his chest. She pulls back, eyes teary but firm. "But I have to do what I can, and so do you. Circumstances may separate us for now, but you _will_ come back to me. Just like you always do."

"I'll come back to you," he whispers voice steady despite the tears that spill from his eyelids and trickle down his face. "I prom…"

Kairi's lips are on Sora's before he can complete the word. The kiss is afire with passion they've never known before, their desire to make one last mark that can last until they meet again. Sora feels Kairi's hand on his face, and he feels her other hand slipping something into the jacket of his pocket. He knows what it is, but can't make himself face the reality of it just yet. He just has to hold himself together for one last minute.

A groan of pain rises from the semi-conscious Leon's lips, signaling to the lovers that their time is up. Kairi breaks the kiss, shrugs Sora's arms from around her body. She steps back, still looking up into his eyes.

"See you soon," she says in a quiet whisper. Rinoa, whose separation from Squall was no doubt just as difficult as Sora and Kairi's, comes to her side.

"Time to go," the older woman says. Kairi nods, blowing Sora a last kiss before jogging to the jeep. Rinoa looks in Sora's eyes, taking his attention from the girl he loves for the first time in minutes. "I'll take care of her. You take care of him, okay?"

Sora nods, fighting for composure once again. "I'll bring him back to you. That's a promise."

Rinoa just nods, sparing her ailing love one last glance before moving to her vehicle. Sora watches her get in, turn the ignition key. The ship's ramp begins to rise then, and before he can get one last glimpse of Kairi it's shut tight.

He stares at the Gummi material for a long time, barely noticing the cavern shaking around him as the secret hangar's exit doors open. A sudden burst of inertia threatens to throw him into the wall, but he merely raises a hand to catch himself.

There's a sharp sensation against his stomach, the item in his jacket pocket poking him even through the magical layers he wears. Sora takes another deep breath, resolving himself to ignore the sensation, and its cause, for the time being.

**KH-KH-KH**

Radiant Garden's castle control room is abuzz with energy and movement, PSICOM troops and techs rushing around as they attempt to seize system control. All of their efforts have been futile so far, thanks to an unusually tenacious security system, but Ardyn knows that it won't be long.

Bright Oasis's acting president watches it all from the room's top tier, looking down imperiously at his hardworking men and women. LeBlanc, gagged and tied to a swivel chair, sits beside him and hurls muffled profanities.

"Such a mouth for a society lady," Ardyn comments, facing the belligerent woman with a gleam in his eye. "And using such language in front of the children, too."

"Trust me," Phineas says, from his position sitting on the floor next to Ferb, "if I hadn't spent all my munny on tools, and had any left for mom's swear jar, I'd be saying some nasty stuff too!"

Ferb just silently glares.

Ardyn only finds himself more amused, until he hears the doors open behind him. He turns away from his captives to face Colonel Jihl Nabaat and a hugely pleased with himself Borghen. At the sight of the traitor, LeBlanc somehow finds it within herself to increase her angry tirade.

"Welcome to Radiant Garden, Colonel," the acting president says, nodding at his subordinate. "And as for you, Mr. Borghen, a hearty congratulations on your new position."

"Well, it's about time someone with some sense was in charge around here," the old man says, positively preening. Then, suddenly, he takes a more serious turn. "Though I must say, Mr. President, that I'll be even happier when your troops have cleared themselves out. The Defense Force will come around to my way of thinking soon enough. At least the ones who know how to follow chain of command. In a few days…"

"Oh, Mr. Borghen," Ardyn interrupts, chuckling lightly. "I do so admire your optimism."

Jihl scoffs. "More like naivete."

Now the old man looks confused. "Um, pardon me? My understanding of our deal was…"

"Woefully inadequate, I'm afraid." Reaching out, Ardyn places a firm hand on Borghen's shoulder. "Did you actually think we would be content to leave your city to its own devices? After all the trouble we went to organizing this operation, all the forces we diverted from our own fair city?"

"You said I would be in charge!" Borghen protests, shaking his fist weakly.

"As much so as you can be," Ardyn corrects, holding up one finger like a teacher explaining concepts to a confused student. "Of course a liaison will be necessary, a face the people of Radiant Garden know that can make PSICOM's enacted policies known. You wanted the highest office in the Radiant Garden government, did you not? Well my good man, this is it."

"You should be grateful," Colonel Nabaat chimes in, sneering at the old man. "This is _quite_ an honor."

At this point, LeBlanc is absolutely cackling beneath her gag.

"If you're dissatisfied," Ardyn says, "I suppose we could always find someone else."

"B-b-but…" The old man is totally bereft, reduced to nothing but confused stuttering.

"Sergeants Biggs, Wedge?" Bright Oasis's acting president softly calls to the two soldiers waiting outside the doors. They bumble their way inside, standing at attention. "Mr. Borghen seems a tad overwhelmed by the day's events. And who could blame him? Perhaps he needs something to set his mind on, hm? I'm sure he knows an office he'd like to claim as his own. You can give him an escort, right Biggs?"

"Sir!" the soldier replies with a crisp nod.

"As for you, Wedge," Ardyn continues, "would you be so kind as to organize a ride home for miss LeBlanc and the children?"

"A ride home?" Colonel Nabaat repeats incredulously. The captives seem equally beside themselves.

"I really see no need to keep them around here," Ardyn explains with a shrug. "Besides, as advantageous as they were for my earlier bluff, I find the notion of using children as hostages to be distasteful."

"Ah, so _that's_ where you draw the line," Ferb declares acidly.

The smile slips from the acting president's face. "For now. We'll see how I'm feeling later."

Just as Biggs and Wedge begin carrying out their orders, an alert flashes on Colonel Nabaat's communicator. "What is it, over?" she barks into the device.

"There's a ship taking off, colonel," a soldier announces on the other end. "It's moving incredibly fast, and it fired on us as it ascended. We're trying to scramble a response, but it's already…" A pause, and then, guiltily, "It's… It's out of range, sir. Over."

Jihl is about to raise hell when suddenly Ardyn removes the communicator from her hand. "You did the best you could, Captain. If they come back, we'll certainly be more prepared to deal with them."

"Ha!" LeBlanc crows, having finally worked the gag off her mouth. "You had _better_ be vigilant. That's one of Cid's ships, and if I know one thing, it's that most of the Restoration Committee will be onboard. Out of your reach, they'll have a plan to send you scurrying back home within a few days! Enjoy your time in Radiant Garden while you can, because…"

"Oh, such bravado!" Colonel Nabaat interrupts with a sharp laugh. "But I'm afraid it won't hold for long. You see, a few minutes ago I received a report from a man in the field. It seems that your friends' escape attempt was not without cost."

"What do you mean?"

Jihl smiles, the room's light reflecting disturbingly on the light of her glasses. "According to PSICOM report, the escape party incurred a casualty before it could leave the northern barracks. One Squall Leonhart, shot straight through the heart."

LeBlanc and the boys all go pale, silent, and still. "No," Phineas finally manages after a moment. "No, it can't… It's not true…"

"Well, no one could confirm the death," Nabaat continues. "But by all reports, things did _not_ look positive."

"A pity, really," Ardyn chimes in, shaking his head. "I'm certain Mr. Leonhart was given the option to come quietly. Sad, that he was too proud to take it. Biggs, Wedge, get them out of here."

The captive regain their tongues at that, shouting uselessly as they're led into the hall. Then the doors close with a slight _swish_ , and they can no longer be heard.

"You really intend to take our hostages back _home_?" Jihl snaps at Ardyn as soon as they have privacy once more. "Just like that?

"Holding children seems in rather poor taste, does it not?" the acting president replies. "Our soldiers don't need any reason to doubt the purity of our cause. Time away from their loved ones will erode their resolve already, and we don't need anything more adding to that."

"And the escaped ship? The Restoration Committee's 'valiant chase' through through the streets that you insisted I let go on?"

"Call it an unfortunate bit of fumbling in an otherwise masterful day. That committee is made up of Radiant Garden's heroes, and they'll certainly return for to rally the people, once they are able. We can wait a bit until then. After all, their capture and punishment is PSICOM's main objective in this endeavor."

The colonel narrows her eyes at her superior. "But that's not _your_ objective, is it? You're after something else. Something that requires you to have an excuse to stay in the city."

"Very good, Colonel," Ardyn confirms with a smile. "World domination may be all you require to fulfill your fantasies, but I am not so easily satisfied." He sweeps his arm across the room. "Ansem the Wise, or Xehanort or _whoever_ , collected much knowledge over his many years. Knowledge I am sure I will find useful."

"So," Jihl says through gritted teeth, "you played me in all this too. As much as it pisses me off, I can't say I'm not impressed. Well, as long as PSICOM controls the city, and I control PSICOM, do as you damn well please. I hope whatever you find is damned well worth it."

"Oh, I am quite certain that it will be."

To the colonel's surprise, an honest-to-goodness giggle escapes from Ardyn's lips, shockingly high-pitched and almost too quick to hear. The acting president coughs, seeming a bit startled himself. Even so, he manages to regain composure within a blink.

"Pardon me," Ardyn apologizes, smirk coming through once more. "Don't know what came over me just then."

**KH-KH-KH**

Sora's not quite sure how he ended up in one of the Gummi ship's bedrooms. Obviously he'd walked, but it's pretty surprising his friends would just allow him to pass by without comment. He'd stop to wonder on that a bit, but what's the point? He's glad to be alone, even if only for a few moments.

What's in his pocket hasn't stopped digging into his side, a constant thorn prick of annoyance that he can't ignore. As soon as the room's door closes, he decides it's time to remove the object. There's no one else around to see him do it.

Eyes closed, Sora reaches into his jacket pocket. His fingers grip what's inside. It feels cold, like an ice cube held in his hand. Its edges are no less sharp than the point that's been needling him. With a deep breath, he draws it out. Another breath, and he holds it to his face. One last breath, and Sora opens his eyes.

Kairi's lucky charm gleams even in the harsh fluorescent light of the bedroom. Sora stares it down, studying every detail even as his vision begins to blur. He blinks through the tears he's holding back, but more take their place.

Finally, the boy just can't take it anymore. He turns clumsily, falling down on the bed. The charm is held against his chest now, and he brings the other hand up to grip it as well. The first sob comes, unstoppable as the ocean's tide. His eyes can't contain the tears any longer. He sees no point in trying anyway.

And so, Sora lets himself just cry.


	15. Dress For Success

Things are frantic from the minute the Restoration Committee's Gummi ship lands at Disney Castle. Showing up with a man who's in danger of bleeding to death will do that.

There's an emergency medical facility on-site at Disney Castle, and Leon is rushed over right away. Within two minutes of landing, the doors to the ward are swinging closed, leaving the rest of the party to sit in the waiting room and worry.

And they do. Cid paces across the floor, muttering prayers or curses under his breath. Aerith takes the seat closest to the door, the air of general serenity she carries around failing her for once. Steiner is beside her, his cuffs removed. After all, where might the sergeant run to now?

Azlyn and Telary talk with Queen Minnie once she arrives, sadly explaining the situation at Radiant Garden. As for Sora, he collapses into a chair far from everyone else, facing away from the overhead lights so they can't shine on his drying tears.

Yuffie can't even stay in the room. She pushes back into the hall, and after a moment of deliberation Riku decides to follow her. He finds her without much trouble, leaning against the wall next to a bust of one of Mickey's ancestors. The ninja's expression is just as stony as the statuary. Riku approaches her cautiously.

"Um," he says just to get her attention. When she's looking at him, he offers her a smile. "Look, I know today's been a long, bad day, and it's not even over yet. It won't be until Leon gets out of that operating room. But, er…"

Yuffie's stoic demeanor disappears in a blink. Her head falls into her hands and she begins sobbing. Riku can't help but feel the urge to apologize, whether it be for triggering her breakdown or simply being there to witness it. But of course that's probably the wrong thing to do anyway, so he just cautiously reaches out his hand to clasp her shaking shoulder.

"Ugh, I _hate_ this!" the ninja says after a few moments, barely controlling herself long enough to even get that out. "I don't cry, I _don't_! But Leon… This just can't happen to him. He's never… Squall's always been… Urgh!"

Riku should say something here, he knows he should. That's why he came out here, right? But what? This is Sora or Telary's territory, comforting other people. Not his.

"Even when… When we lost Radiant Garden before," Yuffie continues, her sobs more controlled even as she starts basically yelling. "Even then, Squall was there to make sure everything was okay. He, he made me feel like things were gonna be alright. He made everything alright!"

"He'll do it again," Riku assures her. "He'll be alright."

Yuffie falters again, falling into him. He almost extends his arm to pull her into a full-on hug, but ultimately hesitates.

"He has to be. He has to… I love him so much."

It feels like Riku's heart is about to drop right out of his chest. He has to fight against reacting physically, letting the woman in his arms know that something's affecting him now. Especially not the thing she just said.

Yuffie cries for another few minutes, Riku comforting to the best of his ability. Eventually, thankfully, the ninja manages to compose herself for good. She looks up at Riku, offering him an awkward half-smile.

"Uh, thanks," she says, quickly wiping away the tears that remain on her cheeks. "I know that was… I mean…"

"Don't worry about it," Riku interrupts, shrugging. "Just… Happy to help. Okay, so let's go back in, huh?"

Yuffie nods, already moving to the door. Riku follows behind her, trying not to be jealous of a man in danger of dying.

**KH-KH-KH**

_Sora feels Kairi move against his chest, her red hair ghosting against his skin as she shifts. He opens his eyes, looking down at the girl he loves. She's still asleep, muttering something unintelligible before settling down once again._

_The Disney Castle bedroom is dark, its features barely visible through Sora's limited night vision. Not that it matters. The only thing that can hold the Keybearer's attention in this moment is who he's with. How good it feels to_ be _with her._

 _He's about to close his eyes, try to get some sleep again. But suddenly light floods the room, harsh and unrelenting. Try as he might, there's just no ignoring it. Sora locates its source quickly, streaming in from the balcony's open door. Which is incredibly odd, because he doesn't remember the room even_ having _a balcony._

_He rises, forgetting all about the sleeping Kairi in his haste. It's no problem, however, since she's suddenly disappeared. And as the blankets fall from his body, Sora notices that he's somehow been dressed in his adventuring clothes._

_He steps closer to the light, holding up a hand as it flashes even more intensely. When it's faded and he can look out once again, an entirely new sight lies before him. And yet it's a familiar one all the same. He stands on a tall cliff, looking down at a massive desert valley stretching out in below him, full of dead, abandoned, rusted Keyblades. The only sounds are the soft whispers of wind, and the Keybearer's own breaths._

_Until suddenly a loud noise rings out from behind him. Sora turns just in time to watch a massive flash go off in the air above the cliff. A male figure falls from the fading light, tumbling to the ground harshly._

_Someone follows behind him, landing perfectly on both feet. The newcomer is taller than Telary, wearing bulky black armor that seems to absorb even the intense desert sunlight. They wear a helmet, designed to intimidate with large pointed horns and an ogrelike visage. A sword nearly as big as Sora is strapped to his back._

_The first figure gets to his feet, breathing heavily. His young-looking face is unobscured, except for a shoulder-length mane of silver hair that blows in the wind. His clothes are simple, just a black short-sleeved tunic, grey trousers tucked into black boots, and a sleeveless hooded coat that reaches down to just above his knees._

" _Look around you!" the armored figure yells, his deep voice achieving a slight echo effect from within his helmet. "Look at where the path you are on leads."_

_Though the young man is momentarily conflicted, he turns to look at the valley below. His eyes, an unusual shade of light violet, widen at the sight before him. "What are those?" he asks, squinting at the decrepit blades down below._

" _Keyblades," the big man answers, taking a step closer. "All of them wielded by men and women who had spent the entirety of their lives preparing to fight the darkness. Preparing, though they didn't know it yet, to_ lose _. If they could not succeed, what hope could you possibly have, boy?"_

_The young man whirls around, jaw and fists clenched tightly. "If I am not up to the task, Garland, then I would have to suppose that my training was at fault."_

_The armored man laughs, a disturbing sound to hear coming from such a fearsome behemoth. "You are a skilled student, my young friend, but don't believe for a moment that I've yet to impart upon you all that I know." Garland walks even closer, his silver-haired adversary stepping back. "But I could still teach you, if you were willing. We needn't be adversaries. We could be allies."_

" _I've seen the allies you've chosen," the young man spits back. "Failure would be preferable to becoming anything like them. Or you." Light gathers in his hand, the sight immediately familiar to Sora. Within a heartbeat, Kingdom Key materializes._

_The whole world seems to shake, a violent tremor sending up an eruption of dust and dirt that obscures the valley of fallen Keyblades. The young man reacts with bewilderment, turning his back on his opponent to see what's going on._

_Garland stands still and quiet, not moving in the slightest to take advantage of the younger man's vulnerability. With his bulky armor and frozen mask, he casts an unreadable, statue-like figure. Particles of dark purple energy spark in the air before forming an aura around his body. "I tried to spare you this, my boy. Just remember that if we ever meet again."_

_In a flash, the armored figure disappears._

_The young man takes notice, looking briefly over his shoulder with a frown. Then something changes in the wind's pitch, drawing his attention back to the obscured valley. Setting his face into an expression of stoic defiance, he walks toward a downward path, Keyblade still in hand._

_Sora can't help but follow, curiosity taking him over. But the Keybearer only manages a few steps before something else catches his eye. The dust cloud hanging overhead begins shifting, swirling and manipulating itself into a deliberate shape. Hollow eyes stare back at him from a frightening visage. Beneath them, a mouth forms, dark green fire spilling forth from it into the air as it speaks._

" _ **Sora!"**_

_The shape becomes clearer, monstrous and batlike with horns and sharp teeth._

" _ **SORA!"**_

"Sora! SORA!"

The Keybearer's eyes snap open, a sudden flood of sensory input stunning him for several heartbeats. He closes his eyes again, just breathing and trying to relax.

"Is he okay?" Aerith's voice asks from somewhere nearby.

"He just gets this way sometimes," Riku calmly explains. "And it isn't helped at all by shaking him around like a lunatic!"

"Well excuse me for…" Azlyn starts to shoot back.

Sora lets out a noise at that point, halfway between a growl and a yawn, just to stop the fight before it starts. He opens his eyes again, ready this time. Everyone who had come in from Radiant Garden is still in the Disney Castle waiting room. Azlyn is practically on top of the Keybearer, Telary only a few steps further back. Everyone else waits by the door into the surgery hall, joined by Queen Minnie and her friend Daisy.

"We just wanted you to be awake to tell you," Telary gently informs Sora, "that Leon's operation is finished."

"And it was successful," Aerith adds, flashing a relieved smile. Her entire being seems lighter and brighter.

"That's good to hear," Sora says, offering a smile of his own. It doesn't come as easily as usual. "Is he, like, awake?"

"No, he's sleeping at the moment. He'll need to rest for a while," Aerith says, shrugging. "But I'm sure he'll be up and yelling at all of us for taking him offworld in no time."

"We're all very glad," Telary concludes, in a tone of voice Sora's never heard before. The wizard's posture is unnaturally stiff as well. Just weirdness all around, but maybe that's to be expected in circumstances as odd as these.

"That also means," Cid chimes in, no more or less gruff than is normal, "we gotta start thinkin' on how we're gonna go back home."

"He's right!" Sora agrees, rising quickly from his chair. A sudden head rush throws him off briefly, but it's easily ignored. "No standing around while…"

"Sora," Telary admonishes the younger man. "The plans for Radiant Garden are best left to the Restoration Committee. For now, we've got our own mission to deal with."

"But…"

"He's absolutely right," Riku agrees, moving to stand by Azlyn and Telary. "If worlds are disappearing again, that means the ones that are left need their Keyholes sealed. That's a job only the two of us can do."

Sora is quiet for a long moment, a strange mix of emotions rushing through. He knows his older friends are right, the safety of the worlds under Heartless threat should be his responsibility above all. But at the same time, he can't let Kairi languish under PSICOM's rule any longer than he has to.

"Uh, there is one more guy," Azlyn points out before turning to Minnie. "Have you heard from the king? Sora said he left to find Yen Sid, but nobody's heard anything after that."

"Yes," Minnie replies, wringing her gloved hands. "Mickey was here, not long ago. All he told me was that he had to find something, somewhere dangerous. He took Donald and Goofy with him, gave me a letter to send to Radiant Garden, and left."

"You have the letter?" Telary asks, a sinking feeling in his gut already providing him with the likely answer.

"I sent it not long after Mickey was gone," the queen explains, her cute face scrunching into an uncharacteristic grimace. "Just before you all got here, I'm sorry."

"Great," Azlyn grumbles. "So not only do those PSICOM guys have Radiant Garden and Kairi, but also our only clue as to what the hell's going on. Yeah, this big quest is starting off great."

The celebratory air that had accompanied Leon's positive diagnosis is dead and gone, leaving only doubts and depression in its wake. Riku finds himself looking to Sora, the usual voice of positivity and motivation in situations like these. No matter how down things seem, or how the odds are stacked against him, the original Keyblade wielder can lift everyone back up.

But Sora only sits slumped in his chair, disheartened as the rest. Glancing around, Riku can plainly see that everyone else is looking at his younger friend, hoping just as much as he is that the Keybearer can offer encouragement.

Telary clears his throat pointedly, drawing all attention off Sora. He gives everyone staring an even look back, clearly working himself up for the moment about to come.

"Okay, so things are bad right now," the wizard begins, shaky but getting steady. "We've all just gone through a big loss, and that's the only thing on our minds right now. But just because we're down a battle, that doesn't mean we've lost the war, right? Maybe we don't have all the answers laid out in front of us right now, but so what? We know that there are worlds out there that are in danger, and we can do something to help them. So I say, let's do it!"

"Tel's right!" Azlyn concurs, punching her fist in the air decisively. "You know I ain't much for sittin' around and thinking when there's doing I could do! And hey, maybe killing some Heartless will even start making us feel better. I know smashing up those dumb bugs always helps me."

"I spent the last crisis like this running around in the shadows behind everybody's backs," Riku chimes in, stepping closer to the Disney Castle pair. "It's time I went out on the front lines with everybody else." He looks to Sora, still sitting in his chair with an almost unreadable expression.

"C'mon, Sora," Telary says gently. "You know we can't do this without you."

Sora shows a half-smile, shaking his head as he rises from the chair. "Yeah, you're right. All of you. It's not like we've never wandered around the universe at random before. If people need my help, I won't say no."

"Whatever the king had to say to you in that letter," Minnie says as she approaches the quartet, "I'm sure he would be proud of your decision to carry on the fight, no matter what."

"You kids do what ya gotta do," Cid assures them, the rest of the Radiant Garden contingent nodding agreeably.

"We'll stay here and wait for Leon to wake up," Aerith adds. "The second he's conscious again, we'll give you a call."

Yuffie nods silently, and Riku can't help but think there's something to the look on her face.

"So, to the Gummi ship, then?" Telary suggests, looking the other three world travelers over.

"Not quite," Minnie interrupts. Despite all the heavy subject matter being thrown around, she looks rather happy. "The letter wasn't all that Mickey brought here to the castle. There's someone waiting for the four of you in the audience chamber."

"Some _one_?" Azlyn asks.

"Did they come with Mickey from the tower?" Telary suggests, brightening. "Maybe they can tell us where it is!"

"I suppose they might," Minnie says, though it's impossible to miss the skeptical look on her face. "But, well… Honestly, I think you should just wait until you meet her yourselves."

"That sounds promising," Azlyn declares, sighing as she and her husband head for the door.

"We'll come to see you off, alright?" Aerith says, giving the quartet a smile.

No one says anything as the make their way through the halls of Disney Castle. It's the kind of silence where everyone seems on the cusp of saying something, but keeps deciding not to. Whether it's the queen's close proximity or that they just don't want to get emotional and distracted at the moment, nobody makes a sound.

Sora drifts along behind everyone, keeping up just enough to make sure the others don't get concerned. As he walks the castle halls, he can't help but remember when he was here just a few weeks ago, when the future seemed so bright and full of promise.

The audience chamber doors are already open, and those things are impossible to see around. So when the quartet clear the door and are able to gaze inside, they're all shocked to see that it's been converted into the universe's biggest dressing room.

Five "stalls" are set up in the middle of the room, each one basically two thick black curtains rigged to an apparatus to create cylinders of privacy. Three racks of clothes hang off to the left, and there's a table with all sorts of sewing paraphernalia set up by them.

"Another dress fitting?" Azlyn sighs as they walk into the room. "I thought once I got married, that'd be over."

"Important, universe-saving information we miss out on," Riku can't help but grumble. "Fashion, apparently we can't live without."

"Well, I should say _not_ , darling."

Riku jumps at the suddenly appearing voice, nasally and strangely accented and coming from the vicinity of his knees. He looks down to see its source, a very tiny woman dressed in black, the fringes of her dark hair falling over her forehead. She wears a huge pair of thick glasses supported by black rims and a large nose. Beneath the spectacles her eyes are intense, as if she's picking apart everything she sees before her, piece by piece.

"If not for clothes, for _fashion_ , what kind of lives would we lead?" the woman continues, stepping past the group. "Of course there are needs: water, air, shelter. But what about the things that make life _worth_ the hassle, darling? Beauty, art, comfort! And what better way to combine all three together, hm? _Fashion_ , dahling."

"Plus," Azlyn throws in slyly, "who the hell would wanna see you running around naked, Rik?"

"Uh, who are you?" Sora asks, confusion and a tiny bit of fear replacing his melancholy. Which is something, at least.

"Edna Mode, dahling," the little woman announces, holding out a hand. Sora shakes it tentatively, surprised by how quick she snaps the limb back once it's done. She's examining him again, eyes raking up and down his body. "So, are you the boy with the big key?"

"Uh, yeah," he replies.

"Big key, big shoes," Edna comments, her gaze stuck on the Keybearer's feet. She looks up, face pinched. "Big disaster! So bulky, so busy, so many _zippers_! Who dressed you, some over-the-hill street hooligan?"

"Uh, fairies actually. They made the clothes with magic…"

"MAGIC!" the little woman yells, apparently personally offended by the mention of such things. She makes a spitting noise, thankfully without the actual spit part. "Conjured clothing, all flash and no substance. No _soul_. Yen Sid was right to contact me for your overhaul."

"Overhaul?" Azlyn repeats, frowning. "You mean we're getting new outfits?"

"No, dahling," Edna deadpans. "I set up all these changing rooms and this sewing table for the PARCHEESI TOURNAMENT! Of course you're getting new outfits. It's criminal that you've all been running around in these things for as long as you have." She looks over the group again, puzzled instead of disgusted. "But I was told there were _five_ heroes I was to design for. Where is the fifth?"

Sora winces. "She, uh, she stayed behind on the last world we visited."

"A pity, to be sure," Edna says, actually quite sympathetic. Not for long though. "But, why dwell dahling? Better to focus on the now, hm? And _now_ , it's time for you to see what heroic fashion really means, my friends. Into the booths, go on! And don't come out until I give the command!"

Each of the makeshift dressing rooms are labeled with a name, making it easy for everyone to find their own. For a few minutes the audience chamber is quiet, minus the sounds of shuffling cloth and dropping shoes. At Edna Mode's command, a few mop servants wheel out a large mirror. She watches in silent anticipation, wearing a satisfied smirk all the while.

After a few minutes, she steps closer to the curtains. "Ready or not dahlings, out you come! See what I have achieved for you! I don't have all day out here!"

The quartet pull their curtains aside perfectly in sync, the sound of metal rings sliding against their rods ringing out through the huge chamber. Eyes on the mirror in front of them, they all walk out at once as well.

Sora's new outfit isn't much different from the old, streamlined and slimmer fitting. Over a grey tank-top he wears a black short-sleeved jacket with grey pockets at the front, red lining around his hood, sleeves, and the zipper running down his torso. The jacket's plaid lapels are open against his chest, held in place by a gold button each, with two identical buttons lined up beneath. His pants reach to just below the knees, matching the jacket with black fabric, grey pockets, and a red band around each thigh. His shoes are, as Edna indicated, smaller, but still yellow and black. He wears a gauntlet on each arm up to his elbow, grey with red linings and two yellow bands securing them to his wrists.

Riku's lost yellow as his primary color, black taking over, as befitting a man who's conquered the darkness. His hooded jacket is sleeveless, as is the white shirt underneath, leaving his arms bare except for a black band that wraps around each bicep. Both lapels are held open just as Sora's are, presenting white and black plaid on the inside, the same pattern at the jacket's hem around his hips. His pants are blue, three black straps around his thighs, one of which holds a black pouch against his right leg. They're tucked into heavy black high-topped boots. His forearms are covered just as Sora's are, his fingers poking out of the black gloves.

Telary is next in line, his own outfit very much following the design of the Keyblade wielders'. He wears a long-sleeved duster of forest green, pinned lapels green and yellow plaid. It falls all the way to his knees, lined in dark yellow with an identically colored pocket on each of his hips. The shirt underneath is black, tucked into grey pants, a green strap on each thigh. There's a dark yellow fingerless glove on each hand. His shoes are green on top, grey covering the rest.

And lastly there's Azlyn. Her long-sleeved jacket is dark blue, with blue and yellow plaid lapels. It isn't nearly as long as the boys', the white-lined hem reaching down just past the top of her ribcage. She wears a white shirt, and a blue skirt with white lining around the hem. It stops just past her knees, an inch of white tights showing underneath. Her hands are clad in blue and black gauntlets, a white circle on the back of each.

"Hey, wow," Sora remarks, looking himself and his friends over. "We look pretty cool."

Azlyn and Telary nod in agreement, but Riku still frowns as he looks to Edna Mode. "I guess they do look pretty good."

"Pretty good," the designer repeats, crossing her arms as she regards the silver-haired young man evenly. "Well, that's a new one for me. And do I sense a 'but' coming, dahling?"

" _But_ ," Riku says, glare intensifying, "like Sora said, those clothes we were wearing are made of magic. They're practically invulnerable, I've never seen anything get through."

Sora, Azlyn, and Telary wince at that, the Keybearer running a hand across his stomach and remembering the armored attacker's claws raking against his skin.

"Oh, so it's combat capability you're concerned with," Edna says, nodding understandingly. Riku cocks his head, eyebrows climbing up his forehead. "Very important when you're saving a universe. I understand, dahling. I really do."

The designer sighs, turning and walking a few steps away, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Just as Telary is opening his mouth and apologize on Riku's behalf, Edna Mode spins around. Her hand darts in and out of a pocket, producing a black handgun before the quartet or Minnie can even blink. With a smile that would make a rampaging Heartless think twice, she pulls the trigger and hits Riku point blank in the stomach.

The silver-haired young man stumbles backwards, arms flailing as he yelps in surprise. The others react similarly, Sora even summoning Kingdom Key to hand. But in a heartbeat long moment of quiet, the sound of metal hitting the chamber floor stops everyone cold.

A single bullet lies on the floor, only a few inches away from the shell casing at its feet. The tiny, deadly projectile is crumpled up like a rejected piece of paper.

"So," Edna asks, taking advantage of everyone's incredulity, "does that address your concern, dear boy?"

"You shot me!" Riku exclaims, stamping his foot petulantly. Then, suddenly, realization sparks in his eyes. Running one hand across his undamaged stomach, he declares in a dreamy voice, "And it bounced right off. I'm okay!"

"Well of course you're okay, dahling," the shooter says with a roll of her eyes. "Do think I don't know what kind of job I was hired to do? Every inch of that fabric is laced with an adamantite weave. Nothing's getting through that."

Azlyn starts laughing, bending over as she howls. Her husband is giving the knight an unamused look, but Sora lets out a restrained snicker. For his part, Riku is nodding appreciatively. And still running a hand over his stomach.

"The fabric is lightweight, even as it provides such sturdy protection," Edna continues explaining, obviously relishing every second. "Each of you can access an interface on your glove that allows you some minor control of the outfit's temperature, in case of extreme heat or cold." When Riku gestures to his bare arms, her smile grows. "The bands on your upper arms heat provide a comfortable amount of warmth when operating at low temperatures.

"Now you, Sora," she continues, walking over to the Keybearer. "I added an extra little feature in your outfit, an experimental system I'm trying out. As you fight, a certain amount of kinetic energy will be stored. Should you feel the need for a burst of extra power, access the reserves with the code word 'thumbtack'. Your strength and speed will be increased for an amount of time, varying depending on how much energy you've stored up."

"That sounds great," Sora says, looking himself over once more.

"Something extra for Azlyn, too," Edna says, facing the knight now. "Those circles on the back of your gauntlets allow you to summon your shield back to you, in case a throw happens to go wrong."

"Like _that_ would ever happen," Azlyn snorts. "So, uh, how exactly did you manage to put all this fancy stuff in here?"

"The benefits of working with a sorcerer who can access hundreds of worlds' technology and resources, dahling," the designer answers, smirking. "Combined with my years of designing excellence, and groundbreaking work with the Supers…"

"Supers?" Telary interrupts. "You mean like, super heroes?"

"Indeed, young man, indeed," Edna confirms with a nod. "They're simply everywhere where I come from, or at least they used to be, and I designed for none but the _best_."

"Superheroes, huh?" Azlyn says, looking around at her friends. "And yet not a single cape."

"NO CAPES!" Edna yells at the top of her lungs, grabbing a pincushion and tossing it at the knight. "None, _never_! The stories I could tell you, my dear. If you knew half the disasters those glorified drapes have caused, you would be on your knees, _worshiping_ me for not providing you such a burden."

"I guess it's true what they say about geniuses and artists being passionate people," Telary says to his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, we really can't thank you enough," Sora says, giving the small woman one of the first genuine smiles he's worn since leaving Radiant Garden. "But, um, do you happen to remember how you got here from where you came? Or like, the space coordinates of Yen Sid's tower?"

"Afraid not, dahling," Edna replies. "My expertise is design, not rocket science or spaceflight."

"Well, that's okay," the Keybearer assures her, his momentary good mood slipping away. "Just figured I'd ask."

"It was a good idea, Sora," Telary says encouragingly. "And again, thank you Miss Mode. These new outfits really are great."

"Oh, there is no need to gush, dahling," Edna says with a dismissive wave. "I certainly like to hear it, but the work is its own reward. And of course the _generous_ sum King Mickey promised me."

"Y'know," Azlyn comments, "I kinda like this tiny chick."

**KH-KH-KH**

Barely an hour passes before the quartet's Gummi ship, the last one in Disney Castle's reserve, is all loaded up and ready for a journey. After a quick discussion on vessel names between Azlyn and Telary (which the wizard tries and fails to get Sora involved in), it's newly christened as the _Radiant_. Just a small reminder to always keep the suffering city in their hearts.

Not that the Keybearer anticipates forgetting about Radiant Garden, one person there in particular.

True to their word, Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid are there with Queen Minnie, Chip, and Dale to see the travelers off.

"Is he…?" Sora asks, figuring it couldn't hurt.

Aerith only shakes her head, smile not faltering for a moment. "It may be a while, hours at least. But it _will_ happen."

"So," Cid chimes in, looking up at the Gummi ship instead of facing anyone, "you sure this virgin vessel's up to snuff? Or maybe you wanna do your adventuring in a real ship like my _Highwind_!"

As Telary explains the _Radiant'_ s advantages over Cid's emergency Gummi, Riku discreetly gestures to Yuffie. The pair draw away from everyone else.

"What?" the ninja asks in a low voice.

"If you wanted," Riku says, fighting hard to keep from fidgeting, "you could come with me. Uh, I mean _us_. We could really use you." He coughs, rubbing at the back of his neck. "If you decided to, I could probably convince Telary to let us split up from the others. He says it's too dangerous for me to go it alone, but…"

Yuffie gives the silver-haired young man a smile, but it conveys only pity. "Thanks for the offer, and you're damn right you could use me. But, I really gotta stay here. When Squall wakes up, I…"

"Right," Riku interrupts, nodding. Trying not to let his feelings show. "Right, of course you'd want to… Right. Forget I asked, it was just… Whatever."

"Be careful out there, though," Yuffie says, briefly brushing her hand over his shoulder. "But if you can't, at least try and think of me before the end."

"You don't do this 'encouraging' thing a lot, do you?" After sharing a quick laugh, the Keyblade wielder just shrugs. "Then again, I really don't either."

They rejoin the group, who all have the grace to pretend their absence went unnoticed.

"Now there may be a little trick you can use to figure out where you're most needed," Dale explains. "Chip and I came up with a more efficient program for detecting large concentrations of darkness. It'll help you identify trouble areas."

"And it keeps track of worlds that are already goners," Chip adds, to a general wince from his audience. "Oops, maybe I shoulda said that different?"

"Oh, ya think?" Chip barks at his brother, giving him a harsh swat on the arm.

"The best of luck to you all," Minnie says, smiling sadly. "If the king gives me any more messages, or drops by again, I'll be sure to contact you straightaway."

"And when anything changes with Leon," Aerith adds. "Good luck from all of us as well."

"Come back in one piece," Yuffie adds, looking straight at Riku.

"We definitely will," Telary says after a few moments of silence. Moments in which most were looking to Sora. "Keep your faith, everybody. Things are going to turn out alright, just like they always have before."

"We're gonna make sure of it," Azlyn adds, raising a clenched fist.

After one last round of goodbyes, the quartet boards their vessel. Telary leads them up to the cockpit, taking his traditional position behind the controls and starting flight warm ups. All around them, the _Radiant_ trembles lightly as it comes to life.

Everyone remains quiet as their pilot makes sure everything is shaping up, all caught up in thoughts of the journey ahead, and what they're leaving behind. After a silent minute, the hangar doors open onto the launch ramp. Telary steels himself, keying up the thrusters. He briefly thinks of letting out a quip before takeoff, but given the mood decides it would be best not to.

And so he tilts the controls forward, Gummis built into the ship's hull keeping G-force to a minimum as Sora, Azlyn, Telary, and Riku take off on another whirlwind adventure.


	16. Fire And Ice

Grunting, Telary throws the Gummi ship into a wild roll. Blasts of unknown energy zoom past the little vessel, close enough to momentarily bathe the cockpit in red light. Once the ship is settled, Azlyn fires off a blast of their own. It just barely glances off the attacker, but a moment later two more shots from Riku's turret finishes it off.

Sitting behind Telary, Sora grips the strap across his chest as they make another quick maneuver up and to the right. Two small Heartless ships track the movement, but Azlyn and Riku take out one each. They're no doubt bantering back and forth about whose shot was more accurate, but Telary made an executive decision to mute the pair's communications in the cockpit not long after the battle started.

The wizard glances at the radar, relieved to see that no more enemies are tracking them. With a satisfied sigh, he turns the comms' volume back on.

"…Broad side of Monstro," Azlyn is saying, no doubt the end of some insult.

"The important thing," Telary declares after clearing his throat pointedly, "is that we're safe now. Good job, both of you. It won't be more than half an hour before we've reached the world, but it might be for the best if you two stayed put. Just in case."

"Copy that, Tel," Riku replies. A moment later the sound of what must be his knuckles cracking snaps through the speaker. "Of course, if Az wants to take a break, I'm sure I could cover for her."

Telary switches the sound off once again. He knows the pair's bickering is all in playful good fun, and it somehow helps them relax, but that doesn't mean he needs to hear every verbal riposte for himself.

After checking the radar once again, he cranes his neck to look at Sora. The younger man doesn't seem to notice, looking up out at Gummi space with a blank expression on his face. None of the usual awe and wonder that the Keybearer usually displays when looking at the vast, mysterious ocean between worlds is present.

It's probably about time someone had a real talk with Sora, and Telary's had some success with him in the past. And maybe sharing some of the pain of being without Kairi will help him cope better as well.

Not that he's having a terribly hard time with coping, however. He loves Kairi, loves having a sister in his life, but for some reason he just isn't as devastated about the situation as Sora. Maybe, with all the years they'd already been separated, neither even knowing the other existed, he's just used to not having her around. It's not a thought he particularly enjoys having, but it is what it is.

"Uh, Tel?" Sora says, interrupting the pilot's train of though. "You've been staring at me for like a whole minute. Shouldn't you be keeping your eyes on the road or whatever?"

He's got a point. The quick flick of a switch sends the ship into automatic pilot mode. Free from his duties, Telary spins around to face his young friend. It seems Sora knows what's about to happen, almost bracing himself for it. He's never done that before.

Nevertheless, Telary's going to say what he needs to say.

"Tel, don't," Sora says, blowing the wind right of of his friend's sails. "I know what you're about to do, to say, and…"

"Look," the wizard interrupts, holding up a hand. "I know this kind of thing is difficult, all these emotions are…"

"Tel, please…"

"I've seen you like this before, you know. A few times, actually. And I know it helped you to…"

"Telary, stop this right…"

"No, no. Just listen… "

" _You_ listen!" Sora stands, staring Telary down like one of the many villains he's faced. The wizard sinks back into his seat. "I know you think you're so much smarter than me, than _everybody_ , and that you can fix me up with a few words. But you can't, Telary." The Keybearer sighs, shaking his head. "I know what you're going to say, Tel. At least the, y'know, gist. And it might make me feel better, maybe for a little bit. But it won't change things."

"I want to help," Telary says, barely more than a whisper. "I just want to help."

"I know. Thanks. But I don't think you can."

Sora sighs again, shakes his head one more time. Then he turns and walks away and down the ladder out of the cockpit. Telary sits alone, slumped back in his chair, with a blank expression. Once he's confident that his young friend is out of earshot, the wizard lets his tears fall.

**KH-KH-KH**

Of course the first world Sora and his friends arrive at would literally be on fire.

The teleporter deposits them in a large courtyard, in front of a castle that would be quite grand were it not for the multiple places from which red-orange flames rise into the air. Thick black smoke flies higher still, obscuring more of the architecture. There are more fires raging behind them, on wood and brick walkways that service the castle's gates. Screams come from all directions, panicked cries for salvation from the deadly heat.

"Well," Azlyn yells over the crackling and terror that fills the air, "looks like we came to the right place!"

As if to confirm the knight's statement, a group of Heartless comes flying in from above. It's a type the group hasn't encountered before, a pureblood strain. Their black bodies are rotund globes, adorned with batlike features including wings. Fire crackles atop their heads, lit up like huge torches. Soldiers join them a few moments later, rushing to surround the heroes with claws outstretched.

There's no time to assess the situation, and really no need. The quartet all draw weapons, separating as they pick opponents and rush into the fray. Sora reaches enemies first, quickly hacking through a trio of Soldiers. He ducks a blast of flame from one of the purebloods, hurling his Keyblade at the creature in response. The Heartless's bane does its job well, slicing the creature open and releasing yet more fire.

With Azlyn bashing Soldiers, Telary focuses his mind and magic on handling the more dangerous foes. On a hunch, the wizard fires off his most powerful blizzard spell between two Flame Cores. The icy attack explodes, sharp spikes piercing the creatures. The spell's cold energy spreads into them, snuffing their flames. It seems those fires are the key to the creatures' effectiveness, as both of them turn tail and run.

Unfortunately, they run straight into Riku. He quickly slashes through both Heartless, before turning and throwing up a magical shield to block a glob of fire being hurled at him. He tries one of his own flames, the dark kind. It definitely effects the Flame Core, violet energy spreading upwards to douse its fire. With a shudder, the monster fades into dark particles.

Sora ducks a Soldier's dive, spins his Keyblade to deflect an incoming flame, and turns again to swipe through two more Soldiers. Holding up a hand at the Flame Core, he blasts it with a blizzard spell of his own. Though not as powerful as Telary's, it gets the job done. The Keybearer hears the sound of feet on pavement behind him. Gripping his blade in both hands, he spins to deliver a powerful blow.

He's surprised to meet resistance, hearing a cry of alarm. He dismisses it as just one of many shouts in the air, pressing forward for another attack. And yet again, he is blocked.

"Hey, cut it out man!"

The words get through to Sora this time, shocking him from his battle-induced haze. Now that he's seeing clearly, the young man's quite embarrassed to realize that Azlyn is standing in front of him. She has her shield held up, and wears a perturbed frown.

"Geeze!" she snaps. "Watch where you're swinging that thing, would ya?"

"Uh, yeah," Sora apologizes, shaking his head to get it clear. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment."

"Sure," Azlyn replies, though she doesn't stop giving him her weird frown. It lasts for another heartbeat before the knight's game face returns. She rears back her arm to throw her shield over Sora's shoulder. He turns just in time to see it slice through a pair of Red Nocturnes floating in the air above him, then return to Azlyn's hand.

Riku jumps into view, blocking claw swipes from two leaping Soldiers with a dark shield before slashing through them with Way to Dawn. There are a flew more Flame Cores bouncing down the way, and Sora grits his teeth before rushing the group with renewed fervor.

Telary's just extinguished another Flame Core when he hears the familiar sound of Azlyn's shield killing a Heartless over his shoulder. With the field in front of him clear, he turns to face his wife. He's just got her in sight when he hears the castle doors slam open with a loud bang.

A large animal, its thick pelt and antlers suggesting some kind of moose or reindeer, races out of the building. That would be odd enough, but what appears to be a squat snowman riding on its back, stick arms holding the animal's mane for dear life, really just puts the whole image over the top.

The moose skids to a stop just a few feet from Telary, regarding the courtyard battle with wide-eyed fear. Its rider looks just as frightened, though he's slightly obscured by a deluge of snow that blows just around his body. Still, the Disney Castle heir can see enough of the snowman's face to make out wide, human eyes, an orange carrot nose, and what looks to be buck teeth.

"Oh no!" the icy individual cries out in terror. "Not out here too!"

Azlyn, realizing her husband is frozen in awe at this point, opens her own mouth to speak up. Before she can, though, yet another Heartless comes flying through the castle doors. It's shaped similarly to a Red Nocturne, though it's larger and the red of its body is lighter. Subtle flame patterns surround its Heartless emblem.

The Crimson Jazz conjures three fireballs at least as big as a man's head, the flames momentarily surrounding it before they seek out targets. One heads straight for the frightened snowman, but Telary reacts with all haste. His own Blizzaga spell intercepts the fiery orb, which dissolves into so much mist after contact with the magical ice. The other two go after Azlyn, but her shield bat them into the ground, their fires going out harmlessly.

The little snowman looks at Telary in awe, the two twigs sticking up from his cylindrical head twitching. Before he can say anything though, Azlyn leaps toward the Crimson Jazz with a loud battle cry. She swings her shield down, but the Heartless dodges to the side. Azlyn twists aside immediately to avoid a quickly sparking explosion. The flames only hit the back of her thankfully flameproof jacket.

Sora comes in next, sliding to a stop in front of the Heartless and smacking it with Kingdom Key. The dark creature doesn't die immediately, instead rising higher into the air. Sora tries to get it with a second swing, but it's just too fast.

Telary supposes it's for him to pick up again, already conjuring an icy blast. But before he can get it fired off, Riku makes an unusually high leap towards the Heartless. The silver-haired young man swings Way to Dawn as he rises, cutting through the Crimson Jazz's body. He lands gracefully, bending his knees to keep from breaking anything. The courtyard is finally clear of Heartless, though fires still rage in several places.

"Oh, wow!" the snowman exclaims, raising his stick arms into the air. "It's a good thing you guys showed up, or that scary bird would've melted me." He looks to Telary, cocking his head to one side. "And you can control ice just like Elsa, huh? Are you like a cousin or something?"

"Uh, afraid not," the wizard replies with a shrug. "We're just passing through here. I'm Telary, and these are my friends Sora, Azlyn, and Riku."

"I'm Olaf!" the snowman excitedly introduces himself. "I like warm hugs! Not warm like the inferno currently raging all around us, though. I'd be melting right now if it weren't for…"

Olaf's mount shakes, letting out a huff from its nostrils. It throws its head back toward the castle.

"Oh, you're right Sven!" Olaf says. "Um, I actually came out here because we need help. This mean guy Hans is back, and he's using those weird fire animals to go after all my friends."

"We can help with that," Azlyn says confidently. "Just show us the way."

The animal kicks into action, spinning around and sprinting right back through the half-open doors. Sora comes out in the lead, just barely behind Olaf and his mount. They enter a large hall, several small fires blazing as people dressed in olive green uniforms attempt to put them out.

Telary's glad to see a group of humans, as he was honestly wondering whether or not _everyone_ in this world were snowpeople. It's good to know that the quartet isn't shattering world order just by being in this world.

They rush through the palace corridors, dealing with Heartless wherever they show up. Minus a few Soldiers, all of the dark creatures in the attack use fire-based powers. Telary finds himself wondering at the significance of that, downing an ether to restore his magical might after another skirmish. Equally puzzling is the half-melted piles of snow and thick, abstract ice sculptures that seem to be haphazardly scattered around. He doesn't have much time to think on it though, as a loud _crack_ echoes through the halls. It spurs the heroes forward faster, until they reach a hall with a set of closed doors at the end. A young man and woman stand outside, the woman wielding a sword and banging against the wood.

"Anna, Kristoff!" Olaf yells as his mount skids to a stop. The pair turn around, their eyes immediately going to the newcomers. "I found these guys outside, beating up those weird flaming things. I thought they could help."

"They just showed up?" asks the man, tall and burly with blond hair that covers his ears and ends at the nape of his neck. He wears a dark long-sleeved shirt beneath a brown vest along with dark trousers. "Out of nowhere?"

"Stand down," the woman says, holding up the hand that isn't currently holding her sword. She's dressed in a green skirt with white patterns, and a black vest over a blue long-sleeved shirt. Her hair is red, curled into two ponytails that rest on her shoulders. She looks at Sora with wide eyes. "If you can do anything to help us, please do. My sister's in there, with a guy who's already tried to kill both of us already."

"Sounds like our kinda party," Azlyn declares.

"Are they locked?" Sora asks with an indicative nod.

"I think they're just blocked," Anna replies, following the Keybearer as he marches over to the door. "I tried my best, but…"

Sora stops, looking up at the closed doors. He grits his teeth, securing Kingdom Key in a two-handed grip. He pulls back, allowing himself to think on everything that's happened in the past few days that has made him angry. To really feel how far he's slipped from the contentment he knew just a short time ago.

He unleashes it all in a single swing.

The doors blow open, flying off their hinges and landing on the polished stone floor of a ballroom. The Keybearer leaps into the room after them, his allies following. The room is huge, maybe even bigger than the ballroom of Beast's castle. Tapestries hang down from the ceiling, several of them on fire.

But what really matters is the action taking place. At the room's far end stands a young woman with long white-blonde hair bound in a single braid. She wears a shimmering dress of blue, brilliantly catching the light of the many fires. A swarm of Heartless surround her, Flame Cores and Red Nocturnes hovering around and belching flame.

But none of the creatures' fire hurts her. For every fiery blast of theirs, she has one an icy one of her own to counter. Her eyes dart back and forth wildly, complimenting the ragged breaths she has to take every few seconds. She's fairly in control of the situation now, but it's clear that she's feeling strain.

There's another human in the room, a red-haired, tall and slim man dressed in white. His clothes are obviously expensive, finely crafted even though several patches of black soot and grey ash stain the clean perfection. He's looking at Sora now, his green eyes narrowed cruelly.

"Who are you?" he asks, one hand reaching down to draw the sword at his hip.

"Oh, you shouldn't be worried about _them_ at all, Hans!" Anna yells defiantly, stepping up beside Sora with her sword held up. "I'm the one who's gonna kick your butt!" She looks to the besieged blonde, her gaze softening just a hair. "Hang in there, Elsa! You can do it!"

The ice-wielding woman, Elsa apparently, nods. Her expression hardens, and the next blast of cold energy she uses to block fire spreads even further back, freezing a trio of Flame Cores into statuary.

Hans scowls at the display, waving his sword through the air. "Them, get them too!"

At his command, more Heartless, Soldiers and Archers, appear in the middle of the ballroom. The latter immediately begin firing off dark arrows while their more physical brethren charge forward. Sora charges right back at them, the others following immediately in his footsteps.

Riku blocks three arrows with one shield, firing back a ball of dark energy that explodes between two Archers for an instant kill. A Soldier tries to take advantage of his momentary distraction, but Azlyn is there to knock it back.

Telary elects to keep close to Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. After all, they're unarmed in a field of dangerous enemies. The burly young man does fairly well for himself actually, grabbing any Soldier that gets in range and tossing them away. The animal uses its antlers to great effect as well, and all Olaf can do is to cheer everyone on. It's a spirited effort, for what it's worth.

For her part, Anna makes a beeline straight for Hans, swinging her sword down at him. He deflects the blow fairly easily, but she manages to keep away from a retaliatory blow. He swings a bit too wide, but manages to balance himself before blocking her next attack.

Sora only briefly glimpses that combat, too caught up in his own. Though the enemy types are fairly pedestrian, there are enough things coming from varied directions to keep his attention. He works fast and hard, each blow probably having enough force to destroy three or four Heartless at once if he had them in reach.

The Keybearer swings behind him, and once again nearly takes down one of his allies. It's Riku this time, who just gives him a glare before slashing through Red Nocturne. The out-of-place fire-based Heartless reminds Sora of what else is going on in this room.

Elsa is definitely gaining the upper hand in her fight. Most of the Heartless around her are frozen completely, and no new ones are coming up for an attack. She's even wearing a subtle grin as she blocks another burst of flame.

But battles are ever-changing, and Heartless can be more clever than the mindless hordes they appear to me. A trio of Flame Cores shuffle closer together, a Red Nocturne hovering just above them. As one, they release four blasts of flame that combine into a huge inferno. Elsa attempts to react to it as she did the others, a single blast of her own energy countering it.

But the combined flames of the Heartless don't stop as the individual ones did. Most of their force and heat is negated, but enough gets through. It throws Elsa off, sending her stumbling back a few steps. A cry escapes from her lips, the first noise Sora's heard her make.

The Keybearer reacts immediately, cutting down a close Soldier before making a full-on run at the fiery Heartless. He's halfway there when he notices that Anna is trailing along just feet behind him. Sora crashes into them full force, smashing one Flame Core aside before jumping up to destroy the hovering Nocturne.

The next Flame Core in line lets out a cry as Anna's sword pierces its body. The remaining creature leaps at her, but she manages to sidestep. Then she slips on the floor, actually avoiding a bite through sheer clumsiness. The Heartless's attack puts it closer to Sora, who slashes it in two pieces.

Sora stands between the sisters, both of them red-faced from their exertions. He looks up to see the progress of the rest of the battle, finding that his allies are finishing off the last few Heartless themselves.

Hans seems to realize it as well, if his wide-eyes and open mouth are any indication.

Elsa practically knocks Sora aside in a rush to get to Anna, hovering over the girl with a frown. "Are you alright?"

The redhead looks up at her sister with a frown of her own. "Oh come on. You nearly got roasted by freaky creatures. I trip pretty much every day of my life."

Now Elsa smiles, slyly. "Well excuse me for being a big sister."

"No!" Hans yells, only serving to draw everyone's attention over to him. He notices immediately, taking several panicked steps backwards. "It was working, I was going to win! They promised it would work!"

"Yeah, well it didn't," Kristoff comments, approaching the tall man with a dark look and clenched fists. "Shouldn't you be used to that by now?"

"And the feeling of my fist on your face," Anna adds, rising to her feet.

Riku leans in closer to Telary, whispering, "Do you feel like we walked into the middle of something here?"

"Happens all the time," the wizard replies with a sage nod.

Hans puts both hands on his sword's hilt, holding him in front of himself with the point raised. The trio don't seem to care, marching towards him without missing a step. Blue mist begins floating around Elsa's hands, and Anna just keeps smacking her fist into her open hand.

They're just a few feet away when violet energy erupts behind the backpedaling villain. The offworlders are immediately familiar, while the natives pause in their determined march. Hans regards all parties with a look of confusion, only throwing a look over his shoulder just as he's about to walk straight into it. He stops cold, briefly dumbfounded before a large hand grabs his arm and pulls him through. Moments later, the portal dissipates entirely.

Leaving two groups, complete strangers to each other, standing alone in a ballroom, parts of it still on fire. Luckily, Olaf is there to break the tension.

"He has powers like you!" the snowman declares, pointing at Telary. The wizard's eyes widen, watching the way the strangers react to him. "I saw him use a bunch of ice to fight those things."

"You do?" Elsa asks, moving toward Telary with quick steps. "How…?"

"We're not from around here," Azlyn jumps in, going with the trio's standard explanation.

"We've had plenty of visitors before," Kristoff points out, crossing his arms and glaring. "None of them had powers like Elsa."

"This could be a good thing!" Anna says, nudging her sister. "How long have you known about your powers? What's your secret for controlling them? Have you ever made a person?"

The wizard pulls at his collar, biting his lip. "Well, I…"

"Look, that's really not the big issue here," Riku cuts in. "Telary can do all kinds of magic, it's not that big of a deal where we come from. He uses it to help people."

"So what," Kristoff asks, his expression intensifying, "you just wander around using your magic to do good deeds? Fight off scary fire monsters and save castles?"

"Ya pretty much got it there," Azlyn agrees. "C'mon, Sora, you usually do this part. Tell them why we're here."

Everyone turns to look at the Keybearer, who for a moment just stares right back. "Uh, yeah. Well, I have this here, my Keyblade, and I fight the Heartless with it. Riku has one too."

"We're looking for something that exists somewhere on your, er, I mean _in_ your land," the silver-haired young man explains. "It's called a Keyhole, and the Heartless are after it too. If they find it before us, then… Well, it's bad news."

"Just to clarify," Elsa says, every word clear and deliberate, "the Heartless are those creatures Hans was commanding. He never said anything about a 'Keyhole'. It seemed to me that he just wanted revenge."

"Well, Heartless are often attracted to people like that," Telary says. "They can sense the darkness in their hearts, and be influenced to follow their commands."

"So where'd he go?" Anna asks. "He walked into that freaky portal thing and just disappeared."

"That's something people with dark powers can use. It's called a dark corridor. Though, thinking about it, that kind of thing is pretty advanced. And he did look surprised to see it…?"

"Will he come back?" Elsa asks, stoic and commanding in posture despite the fear in her eyes.

"He could," Sora answers, frowning.

"Which is why it's in everyone's best interest to find the Keyhole," Riku says. "Once it's sealed, the Heartless will move on from this… place. Now, it could be pretty much anywhere."

"Though we know it's in this area," Telary chimes in. "Usually we land relatively close."

"Land what?" Kristoff asks, his suspicions just piling atop each other.

"Not important!" Azlyn yells. "Man, nobody's ever gotten this hung up on the little details before. We're from somewhere else, the Heartless are bad, we find the Keyhole and it'll stop the Heartless. Now I figure you live in this castle 'cause you're somebody important. So just tell us if you know anything and let us do what we do."

"I'm afraid that I've never heard anything about it," Elsa says.

"And if she hasn't heard of it, then I definitely haven't," Anna concurs. "She's more of the studying type than me." She looks to Kristoff. "What about you? I mean, those trolls know a lot of things nobody else does."

The bulky blond gives Anna a brief look, his posture still no less hostile. "Well, I guess they might know something. In fact, I might be a little familiar with a story about a hidden Keyhole. But I don't like the idea of taking a bunch of strangers who won't tell us their whole story to my family."

"Look, we saved you all, okay?" Sora says, glaring at the taller man. "That's all we're here to do, save you from being swallowed up by darkness. It'd be stupid to stand around and act suspicious while you could be helping us help you."

"He's right," Anna says, nudging Kristoff. "Besides, aren't we about due for an adventure? The last major event around here was Elsa getting the sniffles! Plus, I like visiting your folks. They have all the best dirt on you!"

Kristoff tries to stay stoic, but he quickly loosens up with a sigh. "Yeah, sure, okay." He takes Anna's hand in his. "You know I have issues with people, but you're probably right. I'll take all of you to the trolls."

"Thank you," Telary says with a sincere smile. "It's all for the best, we promise."

"Oh boy, we're going on a trip!" Olaf yells gleefully, jumping off the back of his mount. "I'll have to make sure I pack everything. Let's see, I'll need my head. And my torso. Oh, and probably there'll be walking, so the feet are a must…" he looks down his body. "Hey, I'm actually all ready to go right now!"

"Just give me a little time to prepare my sled," Kristoff says, walking up to the reindeer and patting its snout. "You've been living the good life long enough, Sven. Time to get back to work."

The animal huffs through its nostrils, but follows the burly young man without complaint. Anna comes along, smiling at the thought of a new journey.

"I'm afraid I won't be coming with you," Elsa apologizes to the group. "There's going to be a lot to sort out here, after the attack. And I'm the queen of Arrendelle."

"Yeah, the castle kinda clued us in," Azlyn declares, rolling her eyes.

"Not to offend you or anything, but you're pretty young to be queen," Telary points out.

"That's true," Elsa concurs, looking down. "But, well, my parents died when Anna and I were little. I only just turned the legal age of rule about two years ago, but pretty much my whole life has been spent preparing."

"Sounds like a burden," Riku says sympathetically.

"It's been tough, especially when I first started out. I didn't have as much control of my powers then. It caused a few problems."

"You seem to really be in control now," Telary says, offering her a smile. "You took on those Heartless like a champ!"

"That's right! No more accidental endless winters for you!" Olaf happily declares.

"Long story," the queen hastily explains to the offworlders.

"I've got no room to judge," Riku tells her. "Trust me, I've done much worse, and pretty much none of it was accidental."

"Look," Azlyn cuts in, annoyed, "can we all be done with telling our life stories now? As we just explained, we got places to go."

"Azlyn's right," Sora agrees. He ignores the looks the statement gets him. "We'll keep an eye on your sister, Elsa."

The queen gives him a grateful nod. "Thank you. For that, and of course what you did when the Heartless came. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure things would have turned out alright."

"Well," the Keybearer says with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes, "that's what I'm here for."

**KH-KH-KH**

"What are you even here for!" Hans yells at his associates, pacing across the floor of the mountain cave their portal brought him to. "You told me that the Heartless would help me get my revenge! But the second those other people showed up, everything fell apart. I tried calling more Heartless, but they wouldn't come, and of course neither of you were around to be any help."

"Excuse me, punk!" Pete roars back, jabbing an accusing finger at the prince. "Who was it that pulled your skinny butt outta the fire, hm? If it weren't for me…"

"If it weren't for you," Gilgamesh interrupts, glaring down at his partner, "I would have been given the chance to finally face the Keyblade wielder head-on!"

"Hey, we were there to look for the Keyhole in the castle," Pete says defensively. "It wasn't there, so there weren't no point in stickin' around." He turns to Hans. "And as for _you_ buddy, you better just be glad I took pity on ya. If I didn't have this old soft spot for petty revenge…"

"A lot of good your 'soft spot' did me," Hans grumbles. "I promised my family that it would be different this time, that I wouldn't return without Arrendelle in my hands."

"I gave ya all the tools I could," Pete says, shrugging. "Not my fault ya couldn't use 'em right."

"So, that's it then?"

"Yeah," the fat cat says, nodding once to punctuate the simple word's finality.

Hans grits his teeth, hand going to the sword at his waist. Gilgamesh picks up on the movement easily, and can't help but be excited. This young man may not be the Keyblade master, but a battle is a battle.

It doesn't get the chance to escalate though, as a dark portal opens up between the pair. Pete gasps, backing away as Maleficent emerges from the darkness.

"Now now, Gentlemen," the witch says, looking between her minion and the shocked Hans. "There's no need to dissolve this alliance so quickly. Not after we've invested so much in the young man here."

"Wh-who is this?" Hans asks, unable to hide the slight trembling in his voice. He'd already been quite startled by the strange appearances of Pete and Gilgamesh. The woman before him seems worse somehow. Terrifying.

"This is, uh, our boss," Pete answers, chin quivering. He regains his composure quickly. "What're ya doin' here, Maleficent?"

"I sense this boy has a unique potential," the mistress of all evil explains. She steps closer to the disgraced prince, who unconsciously steps back in reply. "The darkness in his heart positively sings to me. Perhaps a second chance _is_ required here."

"Really, my lady?" Gilgamesh asks.

"The two of you thought much too small," Maleficent continues, laying a jade-skinned hand on Hans' shoulder. He shivers at the contact, but stops trying to get away from her. "That has always been your problem, Peter." She shuts her lackeys out, focusing completely on the young man in front of her. Staring into his eyes. "What is it, dear boy, that you most desire?"

"Revenge," he replies, practically growling the word. "The power to make the witch queen of Arrendelle, and her pathetic sister, regret what they did to me. I want to make them watch helplessly as I take away everything they've ever loved, and leave them with the nothing that I've always known."

Maleficent smiles. "An excellent answer. I admire your dedication, your vision. To carry it out, you will require a power greater still than that out the Heartless. A power all your own, that even the great Elsa's magic cannot defeat. I can give you this power, Hans of the Southern Isles. Do you desire it?"

"Yes," Hans answers without hesitation.

The witch's smile widens, a green glow surrounding the hand on Hans's shoulder. It spreads to the bitter young man, igniting a warmth in his stomach that has him gasping at the exquisite pain of it. He feels the power flood his entire body with heat, until it can't be contained any longer.

Maleficent steps back, content to watch as Hans's new power bursts forth. Red flames surround his hands, the snow that has accumulated in this small cave melting at the sudden onslaught of heat. Pete and Gilgamesh take several paces back, staring in alarm at the sight before them.

"Finally," Hans declares, looking down at the fire with wicked glee. The flames' reflections dance in his eyes. It's time to show Elsa that she's not as special as she thinks she is. That a power exists that can match hers, and become even greater. That power, and his desire to use it, burns from within.

There's a certain degree of pain that comes with the fire inside, but Hans doesn't mind. The heat's never bothered him, anyway.


	17. The Trolls’ Tale

"Are you sure this isn't too much weight for your moose?" Azlyn asks, looking over the group's transport to Kristoff's family. A large green and blue sleigh, with two rows of seats with enough space to accommodate six passengers between them. Add to that a large canvas bag full of provisions, and it does seem like quite a load for one animal.

"First of all," Kristoff says with an annoyed look, which Sven shares, "he is _not_ a moose. Sven is a _reindeer_. Which, in my eyes, makes him better than most humans by default. Secondly, he's used to carrying around a ton of ice. Literally. This trip will be cake to him."

"Besides," Anna chimes in, smiling as she walks out of the castle stables holding up a bucket, "as a reward, he'll be getting all the carrots he can handle!"

Sven snorts happily at that, nudging the Arrendelle princess with his snout. She giggles back at him, handing the animal two carrots that he quickly devours. The redhead has added a magenta coat, cape, and black mittens to her ensemble. Kristoff is similarly dressed for the cold, a fur-lined vest replacing his simple cloth one. Both had offered the quartet warm weather gear, but they'd all declined. Riku, with his bare arms, had to be quite vigorous in his refusal.

"If he starts to look tired, you could always take over pulling duties, Azlyn," Riku remarks, smirking. The knight, grinning just a little, acknowledges the dig with a nod.

Telary regards the setup with a skeptical frown. "I don't suppose there are seatbelts in that thing?"

"Oh, don't worry Tel," his wife assures him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I'll sit next to ya, hold on to you good and tight." The wizard thanks her with a kiss on top of her head.

Anna looks like she's about to melt at the sight of the affection, putting a hand on Kristoff's shoulder. He doesn't seem to notice, accidentally shrugging her off as he makes sure Sven is securely strapped in. The princess rolls her eyes, getting into the front seat with a pronounced frown.

Sora, who had so far been hanging out on the periphery of the activity, takes that as a cue to hop into his own seat. He chooses the back bench, exchanging a quick nod with Riku as he slides in next to him. The silver-haired young man doesn't offer anything back, just looks over his friend coolly.

Telary climbs in next to Riku, Azlyn taking the far left front seat. Anna and Kristoff load in next, the burly blond taking Sven's reins in hand. Finally, Olaf jumps up and manages to squeeze himself in between the driver and his girlfriend. With everyone secured, the group takes off.

As they pass through the Arrendelle streets, people stop and wave. The kingdom looks like any bustling town the quartet have visited in their many travels. Sora finds himself trying not to pay much attention. All the happy activity only reminds him of better times, how nice life in Radiant Garden used to be. Those thoughts only lead him to think on the city's current predicament, which of course brings him back to Kairi. It seems all of his trains of thought are leading to her anymore.

Riku and Telary notice their young friend's obvious melancholy, the older men sharing a look. Telary grimaces, shaking his head. Unfortunately, Riku's not sure what the wizard means by that. The silent language that Sora, Azlyn, and Telary effortlessly communicate in is still largely a mystery to him.

It isn't long until they clear the gates out of town, breaking away from the city bustle to a quiet country forest. Tall trees, their leaves long since fallen, rise above the group. There's about an inch of snow on the ground, and Olaf yelps delightedly when he sees a grey rabbit run out of a bush at top speed.

The path curves to the right, Sven following it at a steady pace. The sounds of the bustling city are behind them now, only birdsong and small feet padding through the snow. Everyone finds themselves relaxing, just letting the smooth journey clear their minds.

Anna, idly looking out at the countryside, suddenly perks up. She sits straighter, straining to turn around and stare right at Telary's lap. The wizard doesn't notice, also caught up in the beauty of the wintry countryside, but his wife does.

"What's up?" she asks, frowning at Arrendelle's princes.

"Oh, nothing," Anna mutters, looking away as a red blush begins staining her cheeks. "I just noticed your ring, is all. I wanted to what your husband's looked like."

"This is it!" Telary chimes in, raising his hand proudly. The simple wedding band shines a little in the late afternoon sun.

"How long have you been married?"

"About three weeks," Azlyn casually replies. She frowns, thoughtful. "Is that really it? Just three weeks?"

"Is this supposed to be your version of a honeymoon?" Kristoff asks.

"No," Telary replies. "We managed to get through that trip without much in the way of adventures. Right up until the end of course, with the monkeys…"

"Monkeys?" Olaf asks. "What's a monkey? Do they give good hugs?"

"Not these," the wizard answers, grimacing at his memory of the pushy primates.

"So you really haven't been married that long," Anna says. "Were you together for a long time before you decided to do it?"

"Well, that's kind of a personal…" Azlyn begins indignantly, before the correct gears turn in her mind. "Oh, you mean before we decided to get married. Naw, not really. It was like a month before we got engaged, right?"

Telary nods, noticing how wide Anna's eyes have gone. Riku, meanwhile, catches just how stiffly this topic has made Kristoff sit up.

"Well, that's not that long at all," the princess says.

"Beats doing it after just a few hours," Kristoff quips, momentarily relaxing for the joke. Upon seeing the glare Anna sends at him for it, he goes back to focusing on the road ahead.

"Well, well, it may not _seem_ like a long time," Telary stutters out, wringing his hands. "But you have to understand, Azlyn and I have known each other our entire lives."

Azlyn nods. "Yeah, once we were together in, like, a romantic way, it seemed kinda stupid to wait around. So, I asked Tel. Well, I guess I kinda told him to ask me."

"Wow," Anna remarks, throwing a brief glance at Kristoff. He doesn't notice, too focused on the road ahead. Sven's reins squeak in his tight grip. "You really just went after it, huh?"

"What can I say?" the knight replies, grinning. "When you know what ya want, better to just go after it."

"Well, it sounds like you two were a really special circumstance," Kristoff says, gaze still fixed straight ahead. "You had _a lot_ of time to get to know each other. Years and _years_!" He moves to nudge Anna with his elbow, nearly decapitating Olaf in the process. The snowman yelps and tries frantically to realign his head. "What, like 20?"

"Well, I'm not _that_ old," Telary mutters, looking away. "But yes, a long time. Neither of us were thinking any romantic thoughts for most of it. Then…"

"That is an amazing story!" Anna declares, slapping the carriage in front of her.

"What about your story?" Riku asks, leaning back. "I doubt that Hans guy summoned the Heartless for revenge unless he had a reason. And your sister's powers probably made for an interesting life."

Anna nods. "Yeah, they did. Um, okay, I guess I'll start at the beginning! What beginning, though?"

"How about the part when you met _me_!" Olaf suggests happily.

"That's kind of far into the story, buddy," Anna apologizes. "Okay, I guess I'll start with Elsa's powers. Right, so, when the two of us were just kids, we were really close. Until, one day…"

It takes Anna most of an hour to relay the full story. It has magic powers, sibling estrangement, a world that hates and fears, getting immediately engaged to a psychopath, living snowmen, and an act of true love. By the end, even Sora is listening intently.

"Wow," Telary remarks, shaking his head at everything he was just told. "That's something, alright."

"All it was missing was a musical number," Azlyn quips.

"I think I sang a little bit," Olaf says. "Though some of the stuff I remember doing during the song was _really_ improbable…"

The snowman's musings end when Kristoff pulls the reins hard left. Sven trots closer to the right side of the road, stepping a few feet off the path before slowing to a stop.

"Now that storytime is over," the driver announces, "I think it's time we stopped to… stretch our legs."

"If that's what you wanna call it, man," Azlyn says, rolling her eyes. In one smooth movement, she slides over the side of the carriage, her shoes crunching the snow underfoot. "Me, I'm gonna go find a bush to pee behind."

"Oooh, I'll come too!" Anna declares, attempting to repeat Azlyn's exit. The princess isn't quite as graceful, falling on her butt. She quickly scampers to her feet, following the blonde like an excited puppy.

Kristoff heads off in the opposite direction. Sora goes as well, eyes cast down to the snowy ground.

Olaf watches everyone go, frown. "Aw," he says with a sigh. "Peeing sounds like fun. I wish _I_ could…"

Telary wrinkles his nose at the snowman's thought, turning to Riku instead. The silver-haired young man is looking into the woods, where Sora just disappeared behind the treeline.

"I guess I don't have to ask you," Riku says, keeping his voice low. "It's hard to miss, isn't it?"

"Well, yes," the wizard admits. He shakes his head, taking a deep breath. "But even if it weren't, I… Well, there was something of an incident. Back on the ship."

Riku's only response is a quirked eyebrow.

"I thought maybe I could talk to him," Telary explains, crossing his arms tightly. "I've seen him get low before, as you know. And before, I could always…"

"But this time you couldn't?"

"No." Telary grimaces, looking away. Hiding the wetness in his eyes. "It wasn't… From anyone else, I suppose it wouldn't be terribly dramatic. But this was _Sora_ , y'know? He wasn't too harsh I suppose, and it's not like he started screaming at me or anything, but…" He breathes deep, keeping himself in check. "He's never talked to me like that before. Never _looked_ at me the way he did."

Telary feels a sudden weight resting on his shoulder. He turns his gaze from the forest, looking straight into Riku's eyes now.

"You tried your best, man," the Keyblade wielder says, soft and sincere. "You were right to take a shot at helping." Riku removes his hand from the redhead. "But I think this thing is going to require a different approach. This isn't a slam or anything, but it wouldn't be something you'd be very good at."

There's no time for Telary to ask any more questions, as Azlyn comes stomping out of the forest. Anna is right behind her again, practically bouncing. And talking.

"I've never been to a desert before," Arrendelle's princess is saying. "Or a jungle. It must be really cool, running around all over the place. I bet you meet a lot of different people."

"Yeah," Azlyn replies, unenthusiastic. "Lots of people."

"I've met a lot more people since the coronation," Anna continues. She reaches up into the sled, dragging out the bucket of carrots and feeding one to Sven. "With the castle open and everything. And Kristoff takes me on day trips once in a while. Still, I like to stick close to Elsa. She's in control pretty much all the time now, but she still needs me around."

"It's a nice thing to do for your sister," Telary assures the princess. Looking up, he sees Sora and Kristoff arriving at the sled. Kristoff looks marginally less grumpy, while the Keybearer's attitude remains unchanged.

"It's important to keep your loved ones close," Sora says, his tone dull. He shakes his head, quickly vaulting back into the sled and sliding to the far end.

Everyone else takes that as a cue, resuming their earlier seats with only a marginal amount of jostling. Kristoff kicks Sven into high gear, sending the party rushing back down the road. For a few long moments, the frozen forest is silent.

Until the sled comes back, having realized they'd left Olaf's legs behind in their hurry to leave.

**KH-KH-KH**

Arrendelle castle bustles with activity, everyone pitching in their labor to restore things after the attack. Carpenters hammer in replacement wood for what was burned, maids work tirelessly to remove the leftover ash, and even the queen pitches in.

Using her powers, she creates a large column of ice to shore up a mound of debris threatening to shift and collapse on the soldiers trapped inside their barracks. Elsa stays to watch, in case any more of her help is required. Plus, it's important for her to be seen like this, using her powers for the good of Arrendelle. As long ago as that "endless winter" business seemed, the queen just can't shake the feeling that all is not quite forgotten.

Elsa shakes her head, fighting off the insecurity. She should be beyond that now, comfortable with her status quo. The life she has now is miles ahead of what she had, in her younger days, feared it would be like. Her powers aren't a secret, but an asset. They're under control.

Then the memory creeps in, unbidden. Trapped against the wall, using her powers to their fullest extent. And failing, the bloom of concentrated flame blowing through her defenses. Her powers over the cold, once far too much, proving themselves to be not enough…

Movement from within the burnt barracks creates a burst of noise, loud enough to shake the queen from her fearful memory. She looks to the small entrance the rescuers had managed to clear out, a layer of her ice holding back the debris from falling. A head pokes out, the rest of the crouching man easing his way through. He's just pulling out the man who had been trapped when, with a resounding _crack_ , the ice barrier fractures.

The rubble shifts, its weight and sharp movement creating more fractures in the ice. The exiting pair manage to scramble through, but the two following them won't be so lucky. Elsa reaches out, calling upon the magic inside to re-freeze the protection layer. A few puffs of frost cover the makeshift entrance, but the collapse continues.

The queen tries again, scowling. This is a simple use of her abilities, she's done it a hundred times at least! She pulls out yet more power, focusing hard on the task. Finally, she hears the satisfying crackle of solidifying ice. Elsa opens her eyes to see the soldier and his rescuer scurrying out from beneath the wreckage. The queen allows herself a sigh of relief.

One of the soldiers runs to a maid, his wife if Elsa recalls correctly. They embrace, anyone who can spare a second stopping their work to look on at the pair.

The queen can hardly take a moment to appreciate the love, too focused on her own strange experience. How could her powers fail her like that? It's a problem she's never encountered before, her issue has always involved her powers coming on _too_ strongly.

"Are you alright, my lady?" asks the castle's guard captain, drawing Elsa out of her thoughts. "You look troubled. If you need to rest…"

"No, no," she replies, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Fredrik. Just… I just don't like seeing the palace like this."

"Neither do I, Your Majesty," he agrees. "Any word yet on just what those things that attacked were? Or if they'll return?"

"Uh, no," Elsa lies. Even to a kingdom ruled by a bona fide sorceress, Telary and the others' story might seem just a bit too fantastic. "But it is being looked into. Until then, best to just focus on rebuilding what was damaged, and remaining vigilant."

"Of course, my queen," Fredrik says with a sharp nod. "As you wish."

The man goes to stand with a few more soldiers, no doubt relaying Elsa's words to them. She carefully watches their reactions, bracing herself for any signs of hostility. But the men simply nod along, salute their commanding officer smartly, and head off to their assigned tasks without so much as a frown.

Elsa finds herself standing taller. It's often all too easy for her to forget that, fear over her powers aside, being the queen of Arrendelle is something she's been preparing for since birth. If she can stop getting in her own way, there's no doubt she can do the job she needs to.

Speaking of the job, it's past time to get back to it. Elsa casts her gaze around the courtyard, looking for anywhere she might be able to offer a bit of help.

A wave of flames bursts through the open doors of the palace gate, sending people scurrying away at top speed. It takes only heartbeats for a panic to rise afterward, and Elsa takes a deep breath so as to not be swept up in it as well.

The soldiers remain collected as well, drawing their swords and immediately rushing toward the open doors. They move so quickly, and are so tall, that Elsa can't see what's coming through them. Not normally, at least. The queen calls upon her powers, a column of ice rising from beneath her feet to lift her over the crowd.

Two of the creatures from before bounce into the courtyard, undeterred by the palace's defenders. One Flame Core belches out more fire, sending Fredrik back a few steps. The guard captain swings his sword, but the creature is quick enough to avoid anything more than being grazed by the blade's tip. It's companion's fire begins glowing hotter, no doubt the precursor to an attack.

Not on Elsa's watch. She flings her arm out at the creatures, power flowing from her open hand like a miniature blizzard. But her magic reaches only halfway through the air when a blast of fire flies through the gates to intercept it.

Elsa's eyes go wide, immediately moving to where she expects more Flame Cores to enter the courtyard. The fire's source does indeed walk through the gates, but it's far from what the queen had expected.

Hans strolls into the palace with long, easy strides. He's looking around with a smug smile, as if the terrified crowd all around is likely to burst into applause at his arrival. If anything, the people become more terrified than before.

"Hello there, Elsa!" the disgraced prince declares, looking up at his enemy with a smirk. "Remember before, when I said that I'd have my revenge? Well, this is that time, I'm afraid."

He snaps his fingers, a brief spark flashing in the air. Elsa feels the ice beneath her shift, before suddenly all she has beneath her is water. The liquid can't hold its shape, sending the queen plummeting. It's only instinct that saves her from a nasty fall, water becoming just enough soft snow to cushion the impact.

The palace's soldiers seem to have missed their queen's entire experience, all of them focused on charging Hans. He only rolls his eyes at their bravado, raising his hands again. Orange-red flames jump at the men, the light and heat overcoming even their extensive bravery. All of them fall back, most landing on the ground.

The Flame Cores move against the fallen men, panting fire to separate them into two groups. A clear path exists now between Elsa and Hans.

The queen jumps to her feet, the snow's slipperiness not hampering her movement in the slightest. She starts flinging magic immediately, the strongest blasts she can conjure. But they aren't enough, Hans summoning enough fire to shield himself completely. The prince doesn't miss a step, moving toward Elsa with a glint in his eye. It has nothing to do with the flames surrounding him.

Finally, the queen goes for broke. Holding both her arms steady, she unleashes all she has in a concentrated blast. It meets Hans' counter head-on, the opposing forces battling against each other in a spectacular display.

Elsa tries to push harder, summon more power from inside. But all she can think about is her battle in the ballroom, the creature's flames burning hotter than any cold she could conjure to stop it. Suddenly the contest is not so even, and Hans lets out a triumphant shout as his own power pushes Elsa's back.

She cries out, all magic ceasing to flow from her body. Hans' flames continue toward her, stopping mere inches from the queen. The heat is intense, but she manages to use the last meager traces of her power to prevent being burned.

"Well," Hans declares with considerable glee, "that was fun. For me, at least!"

"A worthy contest!" a newcomer chimes in. "Fire against ice, heat against cold, flame…"

"Against frostbite or whatever," a third person interjects. "Geeze, we get it already, man!"

Elsa looks up, noting that two people she's never seen before have joined her enemy. Hans stands before her now, the strangers on either side.

"Your magic may have given you the edge over me before, but on an even playing field _I_ am the victor," he gloats. "It's too bad your precious sister wasn't here to see that. She'll come rushing to your rescue soon enough, no doubt."

The mention of her sister gives Elsa a brief second wind, tossing another handful of power at Hans. But with rage fueling her, the blast misses Hans entirely. A thin sheen of ice covers Pete instead. A single shiver is enough to crack the fat cat's coating, but it leaves behind an uncomfortable cold feeling.

"I guess that touched a nerve, huh?" Hans looks around, noting the frightened people around him with pleasure. Then another thought occurs to him. "In fact, it's pretty strange that she hasn't shown up yet."

"She most likely is with Sora," Gilgamesh says.

"Lookin' fer the Keyhole, no doubt," Pete mutters irritably.

"Oh, is that it?" Hans laughs. "Little Anna, rushing off on an adventure and leaving her sister behind. Looks like she's found something better to do with her time than babysit you. Too bad, you really could have used it this time. Come to think of it, I would have _loved_ for her to get an eyeful of my new powers."

Elsa tries to summon her power again, but in her heart she knows it will only fail again. She feels so hot, burning up. There's no cold to draw on from, within or without.

Luckily for her, Hans continues his rant unabated. "Oh, wouldn't that be just glorious? She comes bouncing in here with that simpleton she has following her around, to see her beloved sister all chained up by my side. I can just imagine the look on her face, when I…"

The thought of her sister being in danger, once again at the mercy of this psychopath, brings Elsa the strength she needs. She still doubts it will be enough, but she has to try. The sorceress opens both hands, reaching for the place inside her where the magic dwells. With a defiant cry, she unleashes it.

A wave of icy blue energy springs out from the queen, spreading to engulf Hans and his lackeys, plus the Flame Cores. She has space now, the once overwhelming heat dying down. Not much, but just enough.

Elsa points her palms down, finding the magic comes easier when she's not directing it against Hans' own power. A wave of ice forms under her, pushing upwards and carrying her along with it. The slide swoops over the palace wall, then slopes sharply downward. Once again, Elsa makes her escape across the Arrendelle harbor.

It's a risky move, running away. But she has Hans' measure well enough to know that he won't rampage through Arrendelle in her absence. He has too much pride, an overinflated ego. While once his schemes centered solely around acquiring a new kingdom, revenge is all that is on his mind now. He'll never be content until he has Elsa and Anna in his clutches. The queen's people will be safe from him.

**KH-KH-KH**

"No!" Hans cries, unleashing a burst of flame straight up into the air. The people of Arrendelle cower away, fearful of the fire being turned on them.

"Hey, no worries there man!" Pete assures the prince with a companionable clap on the back. Hans doesn't appreciate the gesture, throwing Maleficent's minion a glare that gives him a taste of the fear Arrendelle's citizen are experiencing. "The ice queen's gonna go runnin' straight to her sister, right?"

"And _she_ is with Sora!" Gilgamesh chimes in. "Seeking the Keyhole! If we can track Elsa down, then all of our prizes may be won today, in a single fell swoop!"

"You're right," Hans agrees, somewhat more sanguine about the situation. "Elsa will run to Anna, and then I can take both of them at once. Plus fulfilling our bargain about this 'Keyhole'." He looks out over the castle. "I guess this place can keep for a few hours. Yes, I'd very much like to see the looks on the royal sisters' faces when they've got a front row seat to me conquering their precious kingdom."

"That's the spirit!" Pete encourages him. "Dead good guys first, terrorized civilians after. Solid plan." Snapping his fingers, the fat cat summons a few Flutterings. "Track down the ice queen. Once she's found the Keyblade brat, gives me the heads up!"

"Finally," Gilgamesh mutters under his breath, turning away from Pete to hide his grin. "We'll track down the Keyblade wielder, and I can finally fight him! Oh, this will be a _glorious_ day!"

"You realize I can hear you, right?" his partner asks, annoyed.

Hans ignores the drama, focusing on the citizens of Arrendelle instead. "I'd advise you all to enjoy your current status while you can. When I get back with your _former_ ruler, things are going to be different around here. Who knows, it might even be for the better."

**KH-KH-KH**

"Okay, we're almost there!" Kristoff announces, much to everyone's delight. Sven pulls them around a bend, the forest's edge within sight now.

"I think you'll like Kristoff's family," Anna cheerfully informs the offworlders. She giggles a bit, then adds, "Even though things might start out a bit… rocky!"

The princess throws her head back and laughs, Olaf joining her without quite looking like he actually gets _why_. Kristoff rolls his eyes, everyone else just staring. Telary tries to throw in a little chuckle, but his heart's far from in it.

They pass the last few trees of the forest, into an open clearing. It's surrounded by several different small plateaus of various heights, with an oddly step-like lead-up to the largest one. Mountains rise up in the distance, making an exquisite frame for a beautiful setting sun. It's a view to marvel at, though it really just ends up making what's on the ground looks less than impressive. The group finds nothing waiting for them but a field of moss-covered rocks. Dozens of them, all scattered around haphazardly.

"There's a trick to this, isn't there?" Azlyn immediately deduces. "All these mystical know-how types just _love_ to throw curve balls. Lemme guess, these rocks are gonna magically come together to form some kinda mystic castle?"

"I should tell them," Anna says, looking at Kristoff for approval. "We should, this is kinda important."

"There's no time for screwing around," Sora says, beating out Azlyn's annoyed outburst by a heartbeat.

"You're right." Kristoff exits the sled and begins to walk toward the field, smirking. "Okay guys, you're all being very mysterious. But there's no need to hide…"

Riku's eyes go wide, Way to Dawn flashing into his hand. "That might not be true."

Heartless come bounding out of dark portals, small four-legged creatures with sharp horns made of semi-transparent ice. Some Soldiers accompany them, a Large Body adding a bit of muscle to the group.

Sora leaps from the sled, his Keyblade appearing in a blaze of magic light. He roars and charges the Heartless, ducking to the side as one of the four-legged ones lowers its head and unleashes a flurry of crystalline spikes. They miss him entirely, though one hits Olaf. Right in the face.

"Yikes!" the snowman cries, in no pain but rather surprised to lose half of everything he sees. "They shot my eye out!"

Riku slices through a Soldier, ducking out of the way as the Large Body slams its fist at him. The fat Heartless turns to go for another blow, but Azlyn's shield hitting its face distracts it for a crucial second. The knight leaps up, using a passing Soldier as leverage to get a few inches higher and catch her weapon. On the way back to the ground, she uses her shield to bisect the creature down the middle.

Telary uses Thunder to stun and distract the remaining Soldiers. Suddenly he feels something slam into his back, throwing off his balance and sending him stumbling forward. The Soldiers are too stunned to move on him, and they lose the chance anyway when Riku slides past them, his Keyblade cutting them down from behind.

Regaining his balance, Telary turns to see Sora dealing with most of the Winterhorns, the Heartless using their icy horns to keep him off balance. The wizard tosses out a large Fira spell, finding himself rewarded when the magical flames turn the creatures' horns into puddles. With most of the Heartless's bite dulled, it's a simple matter for Sora to wade through them with his Keyblade swinging.

As big and intimidating as it seems, the Large Body is a fairly simple matter for Riku and Azlyn to deal with. The silver-haired Keyblade wielder holds the creature's interest, duck and dodging every swing of its fist. He darts in closer, stabbing into its invulnerable belly. The Heartless doesn't lose so much as an inch of its footing, but that's not the attack's purpose. Azlyn jumps at its back, a quick pair of slashes from her shield popping it like a balloon.

Across the field, Anna holds Olaf's head while Kristoff attempts to pull out the ice spike. "Way to go, guys!" Arrendelle's princess congratulates them, momentarily taking her mind off the task at hand. Kristoff gives the ice a firm tug, but without his partner using her full strength to hold Olaf in place, the ice harvester finds himself falling backwards. Olaf's head goes with him, landing on the ground. Anna winces at her fallen friends. "Oops, sorry!"

No one really has time to take in the brief slapstick, as suddenly the ground begins to shake. A heartbeat later it splits entirely, an explosion of dirt and stone flying up into the air. Cloaked in the debris is another Heartless, its thin crystalling wings unfolding from a sinewy frame. The dust falls away, revealing the rest of the creature. It's bone white, at least ten feet long, with a skull-like head that snaps its fanged jaws as it turns in the air to face the heroes. Its cold yellow eyes regard them for a brief moment before lighting up. The Heartless opens its mouth, unleashing a wrist-thick beam of white energy that crackles at it leaps for Sora.

The Keybearer moves fast, turning his blade to knock the beam aside. Telary hurls a fireball straight for the creature's head, but it simply twists in the air to let the projectile pass. With an ear-splitting cry, it dive bombs downward.

Azlyn and Riku leap left to avoid a wing's sharp edge, Sora too far away for it to even be an issue. Telary yelps, raising a basic shield spell that saves him from being sliced, but pushes him back several feet across the ground.

Riku jumps at the creature's spiked tail, but it snaps up and slams into his chest. He goes flying backwards several feet, landing in a thankfully rock-free spot of the meadow. In fact, if he'd had a chance to be more observant, the Keyblade wielder might have noticed several stones deliberately rolling out of his way.

Azlyn flings her shield, the disc smacking into the back of the Frost Serpent's head. It flinches, turning in the air toward the knight. Telary stops at his wife's side, summoning a blast of fire magic. It misses the creature's face, slamming into its right wing instead. The appendage shatters into pieces, throwing the Heartless's flight off considerably.

As the Frost Serpent lists to the left, an idea sparks in Sora's mind. The Keybearer rushes for the rocks, leaping up onto one of the stones. He quickly skips to another, taller rock, and from there launches himself into the air. With a determined grunt, he brings his Keyblade down on the Heartless's remaining wing. It shatters, just as the other had before it.

The Heartless falls to the earth, a headfirst dive that pierces the valley floor. The ground shakes, and the serpent vanishes from sight. Everyone immediately goes on alert, shifting their stances and looking downward for the slightest hint of where the enemy will appear next.

Riku feels a slight rumbling beside him, instinctively backpedaling from his spot. Those instincts pay off a moment later, as the Frost Serpent's stinger tail stabs up out of the ground. Riku takes a swing, but it's gone before he can connect.

Azlyn moves next, leaping up into the air and landing hard on the ground. After a few moments she repeats the move, twisting her feet to dig them into the dirt as she lands. She quickly steps back afterward, just in time for the Heartless's tail to pop up where she'd been. The knight reacts quickly, wrapping both hands around the monster and pulling with all her might.

There's another tremor, the Frost Serpent extracting the rest of its form from the dirt. It snaps its jaws menacingly, but Telary just reaches out his open hand and blasts his most powerful fire spell right into its face. Riku follows up with dark flames of his own a moment later, and it proves too much for the Heartless to handle.

The group remains understandably cautious for a few moments, but thankfully no more dark creatures arrive to spoil the victory.

"You saved the day again!" Olaf practically squeals, rushing towards the offworlders with open stick-arms. "I'd say that's worth a hug. Bring it in!"

After a few moments of silent contemplation amongst the party, Azlyn places her hand on Riku's back and pushes him toward the snowman. Holding in a sigh of resignation, the silver-haired young man reaches down to accept a hug.

"Is your family gonna come out now?" Azlyn asks Kristoff as he and Anna approach. "Seems like the least they could do."

Kristoff opens his mouth to respond, but a quick glance behind the quartet has him closing it again. A sound rises up around the clearing, like rocks rolling down a hillside. Turning, the offworlders encounter just that sight. The moss-covered stones around them move around, approaching the group without any visible means of applied force.

Then they begin to unfold, arms, legs, and heads appearing where once there was only stone. Each troll has rather large, exaggerated features, wide eyes and ears bigger than Riku's hands. The moss that had seemed to be random growth is revealed to be some kind of garment, like a robe covering the creatures' torsos. In addition, each wears a unique necklace of colorful stones. More moss sprouts from their heads as makeshift hair, flowers also growing from roughly half of the group.

One of them, with white flowers growing in her hair and a necklace of pink gems, rushes immediately to Kristoff with a smile on her face. "Oh, you've come back. And you brought _Anna_ I see!" She gives the blond a conspiratorial wink. "Maybe you two've got something you wanna tell us!"

"A wedding, oh boy!" cries one troll.

Another, small and with a single pink flower upon her head, jumps up and down excitedly. "Oooh, I wanna be the flower girl!"

The entire troll collective bursts into chatter at this point, crowding their adopted kinsman and his girlfriend. The offworlders exchange bewildered glances.

"They _do_ remember that they just got attacked, right?" Riku points out. While giving the rest of the group his best sarcastic deadpan, he makes sure to focus especially on Sora. A dull ache sets into his heart when he sees that the Keybearer is watching the gathered trolls with a completely flat look. Not even the slightest hint of amazement or amusement decorates his face.

"He's right!" A deep voice rises over the crowd's cacophony. Everyone goes silent, turning to look at a troll walking out from between two boulders. He looks older than the rest of his people, the craggy face weathered more by time. His moss is no mere tunic, but a cape flowing behind him as he walks. His hair is also noticeably longer, and yellow crystals bounce against his chest with every step. "It is good to see Kristoff, but not what he seems to have brought with him. Those were Heartless, yes?"

"They were," Telary confirms. "They must have been reacting to our presence here, I'm sorry."

"Don't trouble yourselves," the old troll says with a shrug. He stops before the offworlders, regarding them gravely. "If the Heartless seek the Keyhole, they would have made their way to us eventually."

"So there _is_ something to that old story," Kristoff says, wading politely through the troll crowd. Anna follows behind him. "I guess that explains why you didn't tell it a lot, Pabbie. I really only remember a few pieces of it."

"It is not something to be spoken of lightly," Pabbie confirms, frowning. He turns back to the troll group. "But if you seek to save this world, then it is a tale you must hear!"

"Oh boy," Olaf declares, plopping right onto his frozen butt. "I _love_ story time. I hope there's hugs in this one!"

"It happened long ago," the old troll begins. "Hundreds of years, long before I was born. In a time that was once peaceful and happy, a great darkness arose in a land to the west. A sorceress, possessing vast magical power but lacking the conscience to use it properly, took the throne of a kingdom that is known today as Weselton."

Anna reacts to the name with a visible wince, but there's no time for the party to question it.

"She ruled with an iron fist, turning the kingdom to warmongering." As Pabbie speaks, he waves his hands, creating images out of red fog. A tall woman forms from the smoke, her hands raised and urging on a brigade of smaller soldiers. "Though her armies were fearsome, an alliance formed among the other kingdoms." Blue fog appears to counter the red, shaped into an army of its own. "Through their combined might, they managed to stave off her advances.

"But then, things changed. A man appeared from another world, offering the sorceress the power to overcome her enemies. The power of the Heartless." A second large figures appears, dressed in long robes and practically dancing in midair. Foggy Heartless soon appear, Shadows and Neoshadows scuttling about. "With the creatures of darkness, the sorceress overwhelmed the heroic alliance." The Heartless attack, blue figures falling easily beneath their assault. After a few moments, all of the smoky figures dissipate. "All hope was lost."

"Your world was destroyed," Sora lifelessly finishes for the elder, looking to the ground.

Pabbie nods. "Indeed, it was. But, there was still hope." Trolls appear in the smoke, walking through the air in a line. At the end of their journey awaits a shape that Telary finds, for some unknown reason, familiar. "A small band of the troll people survived, finding themselves in a strange town. A place filled with people whose worlds had met the same fate."

"Traverse Town!" Azlyn declares. "That's where Sora ended up when Destiny Islands went kaput!" The knight's phrasing earns her a glare from Riku and Telary, but she just shrugs them off. Sora didn't react at all.

"Some time later, the trolls encountered a young man, his name now lost to time," the troll elder continues. "He wielded a powerful weapon, and told them that he could defeat the threat of the Heartless. In return, they gave him information on the sorceress, who had risen to become one of the young man's enemies." The hero that forms from smoke is vague, just an outline that could be any young man in the universe. That doesn't stop Sora from staring at it intently. "What happened to that man is unknown, but in time our world was restored.

"The trolls had learned as much valuable information from the hero as they had given him. They knew now of the keyhole." An appropriate image forms in the air. "After much searching, they managed to locate it, within the heart of the mountain. The trolls knew that some day their world might be threatened again, and so they crafted a plan." More smoke begins to appear around the Keyhole shape, transparent enough for it still to be seen within. "Using all the magic they could muster, a fortress was constructed around the Keyhole."

"An elaborate, magical labyrinth constructed around a Keyhole?" Telary comments with some bemusement. "I think I've heard that one before. And I'm guessing nobody here has some kind of map of the inside?"

Pabbie shrugs. "It was feared that one day darkness may take root in the heart of a troll. The exact layout was allowed to be lost."

"Not surprised again," Azlyn sighs.

"But you can still show them the entrance at least," Anna chimes in. "You can just, y'know, tell Kristoff and me, and we'll go with them!"

"It's a more direct lead than we usually get," Telary says. "Though some parts of this story raise quite a few questions. What do you think, Sora?"

"It's interesting, I guess," the Keybearer replies, shrugging. "But what's important is the Keyhole. We go to this fortress, seal it, and get out of here."

"I don't mind a direct approach," Azlyn says with a smile. "We go, we lock, we scram. Maybe take down some more Heartless on the way."

"I promise we'll be more helpful in the fight this time," Anna chimes in, standing up straight.

"Does this mean your visit is over?" the pink-necklace troll asks Kristoff. "And you _didn't_ come to tell us about an upcoming wedding?"

"Seems like more important things are happening," the burly blond informs her with a shrug. "But I'll come back to visit soon."

"With big news?"

Everyone starts loading up in the sled again, Sven munching a few carrots before the journey's second leg. Sora's idly watching the feeding when he feels a tap against his leg. Looking down, he sees Pabbie again.

"I can sense the turmoil in your heart," the troll declares, speaking softly so only the Keybearer can hear. "Though it's far from frozen, it has been hardened. Don't let it grow colder, Sora. All you need to counter that is true love."

Sora snorts out a laugh, he can't help it. "My love is… she's somewhere I can't go right now. Not being with her, that's what's freezing my heart."

Pabbie nods sagely. "I see. In that case, I can only give you one piece of wisdom. There is more than one single kind of real love, and none is less true than any other."

Frowning, Sora's about to ask the elder troll for a deeper explanation when a sudden commotion erupts in the valley. Anna starts running, pointing up in the sky and yelling Elsa's name. Everyone's attention is drawn upward, where Arrendelle's queen is running through the air atop an every growing path of ice.

"Elsa!" Anna yells at her sister as soon as she lands. The older woman looks exhausted. Her face is flushed, and every breath is heavy. "What are you doing here? Why do you look so…?"

"Hans came back to the castle," she explains breathlessly. "I tried to fight him but… But he had powers!"

"Powers?"Kristoff asks. "What do you…?"

"Fire!" Elsa blurts, shaking her head. "He was controlling fire like I can ice. I tried so hard, but he just…"

"Where could Hans have gotten magic from?" Anna asks Pabbie.

He shakes his head. "I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this before."

"It must have something to do with the Heartless," Telary points out.

"Were there more creatures with him?" Riku asks.

"Or some big idiot in a stupid jumpsuit?" Azlyn adds.

"There were two people I hadn't seen before," Elsa relates. "One _was_ large, he looked kind of like a cat?"

"Pete," Azlyn says with a nod.

"And the other one was wearing all red, but his face was chalk white."

"Gilgamesh," Sora says.

"They don't sound like potential new friends to me," Olaf declares.

"He took the castle, Anna," Elsa sobs, clinging to her sister. "I couldn't stop him. I tried…"

"I know you did," Anna comforts the queen, gently rubbing her back. "You did the best you could." After another moment, she turns to the offworlders with a grim look. "I'm sorry, but I can't take you guys to the Keyhole. I have to stay with Elsa. We'll go back to the kingdom, and…"

"I'm not so sure about that," Riku interrupts. "If Pete and Gilgamesh are with Hans, especially if they or Maleficent gave him powers, then part of their deal will be for him to help them find the Keyhole."

"And I'll bet anything they already scoped the castle and town when they were attacking there," Azlyn chimes in. "Probably they're tracking us to see if we know where it is."

"Elsa could be a great help to you in your task," Pabbie says, stroking his chin. "The labyrinth that hides the Keyhole is made of ice. With her powers, it would likely be much easier to reach the Keyhole."

"But what about the kingdom?" Anna shoots back, still holding tightly to her sister.

"The Keyhole is more important," Sora says. "If they get to that, then it won't matter about the kingdom. They'll take the whole world down. And I'm betting Hans' fire powers will be just as helpful for cracking that ice labyrinth as Elsa's ice magic."

"I know it isn't a great situation you're stuck in," Telary says with a weary sigh. "And I'm sorry if some of it is our fault. But if we work together, I think all our troubles might just work out."

"For what it's worth," Kristoff adds, "I think they're right, Anna."

Anna is silent for a full minute, frowning as she debates in her head. In the end though, it's Elsa who makes the decision, pushing herself from her sister's arms and standing tall.

"I'm the queen here," she says, injecting as much confidence as she can muster into the statement. "And if what you say is true, and this is the best way to help people, then that's what we'll do."

"I'm just the princess," Anna says, her voice full of relief. Both at seeing her sister standing tall again, and not having to be the one making this decision. " _And_ the younger one. So what she says goes."

"Oh boy, another road trip!" Olaf cheers. "Hey Elsa, you won't let Hans melt me with his new fire powers, will you?"

The queen's confidence falters a moment, her pulse quickening at the thought of Hans' magic. The magic that defeated her with barely any effort at all. Ice begins forming at her feet, freezing the blades of grass.

Then she feels Anna's hand on her shoulder. Elsa takes a breath, giving her sister a slight smile. The redhead gives her one right back, and behind her even Kristoff is grinning at the queen. Once again, Elsa draws courage from the people who love her.

When she turns to Olaf, it's with determination once more. "Don't worry. He won't touch one flake on your head."

The offworlders watch, pleased. But when Riku chances a glance over at Sora, all his pleasure fades. Even when presented with the empowering family scene before him, the Keybearer remains stoic. Maybe it's just the surroundings, but Riku would even describe his friend as a little cold.


	18. Let It Go

The trip up the mountain is exponentially faster, Elsa's powers easily sending the party gliding along. They'd left Sven and the extra supplies back with the trolls, lightening their load considerably.

Everyone remains pretty much quiet, watching Arrendelle's queen as she moves them forward with an intense look of concentration on her face. The only other sights to see are the mountain's scenery rushing past. The white-frosted evergreen trees and snowy plains would probably be beautiful surroundings for a slow walk, but on such a rapid journey they pass by too quickly to appreciate.

Eventually the passages up the mountain start closing in, becoming too small for the sled to successfully navigate. Kristoff grumbles about leaving it behind, but Anna promises to memorize the exact spot where they're leaving it. She spends an amusing minute taking in every small detail of the setting.

Azlyn rolls her eyes at the display, just in time to spot a pair of shadowy Flutterings taking off from within the branches of a nearby tree. She reacts quickly, pulling the shield off her back and throwing it in one smooth movement. It flies through the air with an audible _zing_ , neatly bisecting one batlike Heartless. The other starts moving even faster, just barely rising above a dark fire spell from Riku. It lifts higher into the sky, out of range.

"It'll keep trailing us," Riku declares. "Looks like there's a fight in our future, whether we like it or not."

"Can we get a move on to it, then?" Azlyn grumbles, settling her shield onto her back.

The group starts walking again, Anna tugging on her sister's arm to pull her a few paces behind the others. "I can tell you're freaked out by Hans' powers," she says quietly. "If he really can do everything you said, I am too. But you've got power too, and you've had it longer than him. And you know I'll be with you, right by your side."

Elsa smiles, gently patting her sister on the hand. "I know, Anna. Thank you." She takes a deep breath, Anna's reassurance helping to build her confidence back. It will be enough. As long as Anna is by her side.

It doesn't take long to find what they're after once they've ditched the sled. They've nearly reached the top of the mountain, only a few thousand feet left to go. Elsa talks a little about her ice palace, Anna chiming in with something about a big marshmallow.

The cave's entrance is small, at least seven feet tall but barely wide enough for two people to walk in shoulder-to-shoulder. It opens up into a slightly wider passage, continuing in a straight line until it curves a few feet ahead. Telary goes in first, a Fire spell held around his fist to provide light. Azlyn insists on being behind her husband, Riku volunteering to hold up the rear.

Not even Olaf can find any fun in the short trip. It's cramped and dank, the wind loudly howling down the passage and bringing a fierce chill with it. Luckily, the path really is pretty short, and once Telary rounds the curve it's only a few steps before things open up. Way up.

The cave is easily a hundred square feet, its ceiling just barely higher than Telary could jump up and touch. The passage's natural rock is practically another world away, replaced with smooth white stone. A hexagonal platform is set into the middle of the room, a high pillar of smooth white ice reaching up toward the ceiling.

"This crystal thing is supposed to be the entrance, right?" Anna says once everyone's in the chamber. She circles the pillar, wide-eyed.

"They did tell someone how it works, right?" Kristoff asks, arms crossed sternly.

Telary steps up onto the platform, laying one hand on the ice. It's colder to the touch than he'd realized. It seeps right through his glove. The wizard pulls his hand back, letting out a hiss. "Yeah, I got the lowdown. The trick is to get this pillar spinning, which activates the spell sending it down into the labyrinth."

"Judging by your reaction," Riku points out, "touching it to get it moving is a tricky prospect."

"Normally it would be, yes," Telary agrees.

"Luckily, we have a way around that," Azlyn declares.

"Oooh, is it me?" Olaf asks, grinning. "Please tell me it's me!"

"Sorry, buddy," Anna apologizes, patting him on the head. "But not this time." She looks at her sister, steady and with a smile.

Elsa smiles back. Everyone gathers on the platform, standing close and trying not to touch the center spinner. Except the sorceress, who presses both hands against the ice without so much as a shiver. It takes barely a thought for her to activate the mechanism. The platform shakes, and within a few seconds the group is moving downward.

Hidden back inside the passage, a Heartless warps out with something to report.

**KH-KH-KH**

It feels like they've entered another world entirely.

Wind blows around the descending platform, carrying with it a flurry of snow. Though the wild flurries obscure anything beyond a few yards, the environment feels immense. Azlyn, bold as ever, shouts out loud in hopes to determine just how big the space is. But the surrounding snow muffles her noise and renders an echo impossible.

After probably two minutes, the snow begins to thin. It's still windy, everyone but Elsa shuddering and pulling together for warmth. A few yards below, the platform's destination is clear. From a distance, it looks like they're heading for a gigantic snowflake.

"That's an ice labyrinth alright," Telary announces, looking down appreciatively. "All of those intricate patterns are hallways, I'd imagine. We'll probably land on one of the outer prongs, then have to make our way to the middle."

"Any chance that you're memorizing the path as we speak?" Riku asks.

The wizard shrugs. "Sorry, but that's probably a bit beyond me. I'm sure with Elsa's help, we can find our way through. Maybe make a shortcut."

"I'll try," the queen says.

"And you'll _succeed_!" Anna declares, firmly patting her sister on the back. The platform touches down at that moment, shaking as it settles onto the ground.

"Bottom floor," Azlyn quips, jumping to the ground. "Crazy magic mazes and ladies petite."

"I love shopping!" Olaf chimes in.

They stand at the very edge of a short walkway, nothing but swirling snow and air below them. Just ten feet ahead, tall walls rise up to define the corridor's boundaries. Telary takes the lead again, lighting up a Fire spell around his hand for light and warmth. Everyone huddles a little closer to the wizard, except Elsa. She hangs back, and Sora briefly notices that she's avoiding looking too much at the open flame. He also sees the way Elsa makes sure Anna doesn't notice it.

It's probably none of his business.

"So, do we have _any_ kind of strategy here?" Kristoff asks. They've already arrived at an offshoot passage, off to the left and curving out of sight after a yard or so. There are multiple openings spaced out through the long hallway, which comes to a dead end.

"I can feel all of the ice in here," Elsa announces, wide-eyed at the sensation. "I could guide all of us through easily, or…"

Elsa turns to the closest wall, closing her eyes and placing her hands, palms flat, on its smooth surface. Tendrils of power, glowing white and contrasting against the nearly-black ice of the wall, radiate out from her touch like spiderwebs. The queen grunts, pushing more power into the structure. It spreads at a rapid pace, flying through the maze's walls and taking root. Everyone else watches in awe, Telary especially. Anna smiles to herself, glad to see her sister's skills on display.

Elsa takes a deep breath, the lines pulsing. She pulls her hands back, still drawing in air. Once her lungs are full, the sorceress lets the air out, pushing her hands against the ice. There's a bright flash, accompanied by a loud _crack_.

The light fades, and everyone opens their eyes, Elsa included. Where there once was a labyrinthine maze, now there only exists a vast open circle of ice and snow. Several hundred yards away, in the floor's exact center, another pillar of white ice stands tall, ice frozen in another snowflake shape slowly whirling in the air above it.

"That was _amazing_!" Olaf declares happily, the first to speak up.

"Yeah," Azlyn agrees, looking around in awe. Beside her, Sora and Riku take it all in silently as well.

Anna approaches her sister, smiling. "Knew you could do it."

A sudden tremor strikes, nearly throwing the group off of their feet. It lasts several seconds before the platform settles. For a few heartbeats afterward, everyone is quiet.

"What just happened?' Kristoff asks, looking around as if there will be some warning sign of another quake.

"I didn't…" Elsa begins, shaking now despite the settled ground. Anna puts a hand on the queen's shoulder. "Did I…?"

"I suggest we all get moving," Riku says, already putting action to his words. "C'mon. Quickly, people."

They all follow his lead, though Elsa's sister has to nudge her into action. It's a pretty far distance to the platform's center, and they're about halfway there when another mild tremor disturbs the group's passage. Olaf loses his footing, falling to the floor and breaking into three pieces at the impact. His torso trips up Telary, who accidentally takes Azlyn down with him. Sora hops over Olaf's head, while the feet ram into the back of Riku's legs. The Keyblade wielder stands firm, wobbling only slightly.

"Heeeeeelp!" Olaf yells as his head keeps moving across the platform.

Elsa and Anna are tangled up in a heap together, the redhead flat on her face while her older sister is on her back, propping herself up with her elbows. She's about to check on Anna's condition when she gasps, sitting up more and raising a hand in the air. Cold blue energy flies up, just in time to block a blast of orange-red fire coming down from above.

"Smooth one, Elsa," Hans declares in his smarmiest tone. The disgraced prince, accompanied by Pete, Gilgamesh, and an assortment of Heartless, float down from above on the same platform the heroes had ridden. Two Soldiers work the ice pillar, apparently unbothered by its intense cold.

"Thanks fer the help findin' the place," Pete adds, just as smug. "Saved us a lotta walkin' around."

"And lord knows _you_ don't need the exercise," Azlyn quips, finding her feet and drawing her shield. "But at least this way, we can kick your butt back to Maleficent right away."

"So, all in all, a pleasantly brisk afternoon for everyone," Telary comments, stepping up beside his wife. Riku and Kristoff are ready behind them, while Sora summons his Keyblade and pushes right up to the front of the group.

Still hanging back, Anna turns to her sister. "Don't worry, Elsa," she whispers. "You got this. We won't let anything happen to you."

The queen nods, regaining her feet. Her sister's assurances aside, she can't help but focus on Hans, the look of absolute confidence on his face.

The Heartless move first, leaping off the platform a few feet before touchdown and rushing the heroes. More appear as they go, a herd of Winterhorns making the charge. As they close the distance, the herd separates into smaller groups, driving at the gaps in their opponent's formations.

Remembering his last encounter with the beasts, Telary starts preparing a Firaga spell to rid the creatures of their horns. It's only when the energy starts gathering in his hand that he remembers this fight is taking place atop a platform made completely of ice. Azlyn is with him though, her shield batting aside the lead Winterhorns in time for him to move out of the way. Despite the paradox of it all, the wizard instead employs a Blizzara spell. None of the Heartless freeze, but icy spikes impale a few.

Hans isn't quite so prescient as Telary. Heedless of the environment, the disgraced prince starts flinging blasts of fire like they're going out of style. Sora and Riku use his recklessness to their advantage, letting his flames melt away the Winterhorns' icicle antlers.

Into the fray charges Gilgamesh, on a straight path for Sora with four swords ready. The Keybearer cuts down another Heartless, stepping aside at just about the time his foe reaches him. The swordsman skids to a stop, or at least attempts to. But a thin layer of meltwater covers the floor, and Gilgamesh loses absolutely no momentum despite the effort. With a yelp of surprise, he keeps sliding forward, dropping two swords before falling right on his butt.

Gilgamesh's wild slide nearly bowls Anna over, throwing the princess of completely. She stumbles several steps, holding on to her sword by sheer will and letting it swing wildly in the process. Azlyn barely avoids getting slashed.

"What is it with me and the friendly fire today?" she mutters, knocking a Fluttering out of the air. A few feet away, Kristoff manages to steady his girlfriend. Then another tremor starts.

Elsa, who had spent the fight's first frantic moments trying her best to stay composed and call upon her powers, grimaces as the ground shakes again. This only started happening once she'd taken down the ice maze. Maybe, once again, her powers aren't quite what they are supposed to be.

She focuses on a nearby Winterhorn, thrusting her hand out at it. But only a slight puff of snow comes forth. She breathes in, trying her best to concentrate. The ever more frequent tremors aren't helping, nor is Hans' mocking laugh and the accompanying _whoosh_ of his fire blasts.

Sora goes after the villain, ducking away from a deluge of flame. Another blast springs up, taking the Keybearer full in the chest and sending him stumbling back. He plants his foot hard into the ice, though not hard enough to crack straight through it. And yet that is exactly what happens.

It's far from an isolated incident, the noise nearly deafening as more and more splinters form in the floor. The battle comes to a momentary halt, everyone desperately trying to keep their footing. But the cracks go deep, chunks of the platform breaking off and beginning to shift and fall.

Elsa immediately recognizes the need for her powers here, desperately throwing out her hands to reconnect the breaking pieces. A few tiny sections around her form together, but some only start cracking again once they're finished.

Anna tries to get to her sister, but the platform is simply shifting and falling too rapidly. Gilgamesh has already fallen below, taking several Winterhorns with him. Azlyn barely jumps to Telary before the chunk they're standing on goes down. Hans follows a moment later, screaming in impotent rage. Pete growls something unintelligible as the ice beneath him gives way.

"ELSA!" Anna cries, falling together with Kristoff.

The queen watches her sister go, a wordless cry coming from her own lips. All attempts to use her powers cease, as she feels the ice buckle beneath her. Elsa is vaguely aware of Sora and Riku coming toward her, the younger dropping below just heartbeats before his silver-haired comrade.

Elsa hears one final _crack_. Exhausted, she resigns herself to falling as darkness fills her vision.

**KH-KH-KH**

_Water splashes beneath Sora's feet with every step, the only sound that accompanies his journey. He's in some kind of marsh, a thick canopy of black leaves blocking out all but the slightest rays of sunshine. Water covers about eighty percent of the ground, the rest occupied by small islands of mud and foliage that manage to break through the wet layer. All he can see ahead of him is a thick mist, impenetrable to his vision._

_He walks on through the dreary bog, wondering just how he got here in the first place. It certainly doesn't match up with his last memories, hazy though they may be. This place is about as far from a frozen labyrinth as can be._

_Suddenly, he can hear voices up ahead. He tries to move faster, but the water up to his ankles, and the mud sticking to his feet beneath it, keeps him from gaining too much speed. Still, the Keybearer presses on. He can't make out much about the voice ahead, but there are two things he's sure of: the voice is female, and its owner is in considerable distress._

_Finally the mist ahead clears, revealing a scene that has Sora on edge. A young girl kneels on one of the dry islands, hands held up to protect herself. She wears a pink and purple dress, lacks shoes, and has the most elaborately braided golden hair that Sora has ever seen._

_A shadow looms over the girl. Though black and indistinct, Sora can make out enough features to tell it wears the shape of a woman. Her eyes gaze down at the frightened blonde, the same yellow-colored glow as any common Heartless._

" _I already told you, Rapunzel," the shadow declares, its voice shrill and cold. "You may have left the tower, my darling, but you will_ never _be free of me!" It ducks in closer, and Sora can see the cruel smile it wears. "Your mother is always with you."_

" _No!" the girl, Rapunzel apparently, shouts back. "You are_ not _my mother, and you never were! All you ever did was lie to me, use me. I have a real family now, and you aren't part of it. You're gone, and you can't hurt me anymore."_

" _Oh, my dear sweet Flower," the shadow replies, growing larger. "Naive as ever, aren't you?" Wind begins stirring through the marsh, rustling the leaves and stirring the water. "Time to show you, once and for all, that mother knows best!"_

_Rapunzel is on her feet, hurriedly backing away from the still-growing shadow. Thick black tendrils rise from its head like unruly strands of hair, blocking out what small rays of sun breaking through the foliage above._

_Sora watches the scene with a scowl, readying himself to rush in and help. He may be plenty confused at the moment, but he certainly knows how to handle situations like these. Opening his hand, he calls the Keyblade to him. A heartbeat later, he's rewarded with the sound of his mystic weapon materializing._

_Except that it's coming from behind._

_Perplexed, Sora whirls around just in time to see the young man from his last dream leaping through the fog. He holds Kingdom Key in both hands, raised up and ready for a battle. He rushes right past Sora, like he's not even aware the other Keybearer is there at all._

_The stranger leaps at the shadow, his blade batting away its dark tendrils. They come at him from all sides, but the unknown Keybearer fights the creature off from wherever it attacks. Sora steps closer, fascinated to watch a battle like this, which he'd usually be right in the thick of, from the outside._

_But the mist from before is closing in again, a curtain of white slowly seeping out of the trees. Sora tries to move forward again, get a closer look before he has none at all. But his feet are stuck to the ground, the marsh's thick mud keeping him from moving in the slightest. He growls in frustration, leaning forward and concentrating hard on the battle in front of him._

_Rapunzel swings her braid into the shadow, and its tendrils bounce off the hair as if it's made of iron. The Keybearer moves into the suddenly safe spot, swinging at the shadow's torso. He makes contact, the creature howling in pain. It moves backwards, floating an inch above the waterline._

_The fog is still thickening, almost a curtain too opaque to see through. And now there's a voice, quiet but urgent, calling out from behind Sora. He's just about to give up on his impossible attempts at observation, turn away from the scene he basically can't see anymore, when one final thing catches his eye._

_Someone else is watching the fight, looking on in confusion and fear. Someone that Sora would know anywhere, even in such a strange dream. Opening his mouth, he calls to her._

" _Kairi?"_

**KH-KH-KH**

"C'mon, Sora," the voice says, no longer hazy and indistinct. "C'mon."

The Keybearer opens his eyes, not even surprised when he sees Riku kneeling so close their noses are practically touching.

"Ah, good," his silver-haired friend comments, rising to his full height and backing away. "You hurt?"

"Not bad," Sora replies, taking stock of himself. Pretty much every part of his body aches, but that's nothing new. When Riku offers him a hand, it's a simple matter to take it.

"That's good too," he says, pulling his young friend up and ignoring the pained moans it brings on. "Because we're down a healer at the moment. I looked for Telary and the others, but no luck."

On his feet now, Sora finally takes the time to observe his surroundings. He and Riku stand by the wall of a fairly large chamber, all of it made completely of ice. It opens up at either end, one hallway curving out of sight after a few feet, and the other leading to a wide bridge across a chasm. He also notices Elsa, leaning up against another wall. The queen doesn't look well, standing completely still with her arms tightly crossed.

"Another level of the maze?" Sora says, unamused. "Well, the Keyblade should help guide us in the right direction. Okay, let's get going."

He starts walking toward the chasm and bridge, nothing but a feeling to guide him. But after a pair of steps, Riku grabs his arm hard enough to stop the Keybearer in his tracks. He steps in close, whispering. "Hang on a second, Sora. We're not all ready to move on."

Sora turns his gaze to Elsa, who at least looks alert enough now to watch the boys as she holds herself tightly. He frowns at the sight. It turns to a grimace as he notices how Riku is looking at him, clearly expecting the younger man to do something about this.

He can't say he isn't moved at all, looking at the powerful sorceress in such a state. But why is fixing everything always _his_ problem? Isn't it enough just to save worlds? He can't be reasonably expected to go looking after everyone's individual, emotional needs as well.

"Elsa," he says, gently shaking Riku's arm until the silver-haired young man lets go and backs away a few steps. The queen's expression shifts, but only in the minutest sense. "Look. I know things suck right now. Believe me, I can relate. But we've got a job to do here, at least I do. And I can't have you…"

Once again, Sora feels Riku's hand closing around his arm. Only this time, it's actually hard enough to hurt. "Okay, I guess now's the time. Sorry, Elsa, but Sora and I need to have a little talk, okay? Will you be alright for a minute, if we just go around the corner?"

She nods, and Riku starts moving to the chamber entrance, Sora dragged along like a windsurfer on the Destiny Island seas. "Hey, cut it out!"

Riku doesn't say anything, powering through his friend's attempts to shake himself loose. The Keybearer is still fighting as they round the bend in the hallway. Tendrils of dark blue ice run up the walls like ivy, most likely providing support for the structure. Sora barely has time to think through this observation before he's being thrown into the wall. That certainly doesn't do his already aching body any favors.

"What are you doing?" he demands of Riku, steadying himself after the long drag. Looking up at his best friend, who wears one of his famed impassive masks, he scowls.

"That's an interesting question," the older shoots back, outwardly serene but far from actually calm. "Maybe one you should ask yourself first. Followed shortly by 'why am I being such an asshole'?"

"We've got to get to the Keyhole before Pete or Hans or whoever can," Sora replies, angry as he is confused. "And as much as it sucks that Elsa's having a moment right now…"

"That's it!" Riku cuts him off, his finger right in the younger man's face. "That right there is exactly what I'm talking about. She's smack in the middle of a crisis, and here you are trying to brush it off like it doesn't even matter! You don't do things like that, Sora. And that's not even mentioning the way you blew off Telary like you did, who has only ever tried to help you."

"And just how was he supposed to help me?" Sora asks, growling out the words. "It's not like he's ever gone through what I have. Every journey we take, he always gets to have Azlyn by his side. They never get separated, never have to worry about each other."

Riku shakes his head. "I knew you were upset about Kairi, but that's just ridiculous. They don't have any more control over what happens than you do. And it definitely doesn't excuse you ignoring Elsa like you are."

"Why is it _my_ problem?" Sora declares, practically throwing himself back against the wall. He's silent for a long moment, just staring up at the white ceiling. "Why is it that everything is always _my_ problem? It's not enough that I've got to save the universe all the time, no. I have to run around playing therapist too. I just don't understand, Riku."

"Sora, you like helping people," Riku says, sighing. "You always have, especially when you don't have to fight to do it. And you're good at it. Trust me, I would know."

The Keybearer looks down at his friend now, revealing tear-filled eyes. "I don't think I can take it right now, Riku. The worlds need to be saved, and I can focus on that. But how am I supposed to take care of other people when I can't…?"

"You don't have to do it alone," Riku interrupts. "You should know that better than anyone, right? Anything you need, I'll be here for you. And Telary and Azlyn, if you stop being a moron and let them."

"Right again," Sora agrees, shaking his head and wiping the moisture from his eyes. He tries to laugh, but it doesn't quite get out. "Everything was perfect, Riku. We worked so hard to make it that way, and now it's all messed up again."

"I know," the older man commiserates. "But we'll fix it. And in the meantime, you can't let this change who you are. I've been there before, and it sucks. So I don't want to see you going through anything similar."

"Thanks, man," Sora says, finally able to let out a small chuckle. "I needed to hear that."

"I remember a conversation," Riku declares with a smirk, "about you needing someone around who's not afraid to kick you into gear. Just doing what I said I would."

"It was exactly what I needed." He steps forward, briefly hugging the silver-haired young man. Riku responds with one arm over his shoulder, but it's clear he isn't thrilled at the physical contact. So Sora quickly lets go and steps back. "Speaking of what people need, I should talk to Elsa. I don't know what I can do, but…"

"You want to try," Riku finishes for him, smiling. "That's good to hear."

When the pair return to the chamber, Elsa is still in the same spot as when they'd left. She regards them with practiced calm, but for a split second Sora knows he saw her looking worried. He moves closer to her, leaving Riku behind.

"Um, hi," is the Keybearer's opening move, and he can't help himself from scratching the back of his neck. "First, I think I should apologize for what I said before."

"It's alright," Elsa replies stoically. "I'm sorry myself. Breaking down like this…"

"Well, you wouldn't be the first," Sora says, shrugging. "I've been letting things get to me too. It's kinda tough, dealing with all this big picture stuff while you're going through your own problems. But I talked to my friend Riku over there about it.."

"Yes, I heard some of it," the queen says, her lips quirking up in the slightest of smiles. "It's nice, having someone who knows you well. Who can help talk you out of things. Though I'll admit, your friend used several words that neither Anna or I would."

"Well, he's kind of a 'tough love' guy, y'know?" Elsa's smile grows wider, encouraging Sora to push a little more. "I know I'm not your sister, but if you need to talk about anything, I've been told I'm not half bad at it."

The smile disappears, the sorceress quickly pulling her stoic facade back together. "I don't…"

"Yeah, I guess that's fair," Sora replies, chuckling softly. "We've really only just met." He bites his lip, debating whether he should push or not. "But, look, Anna told me your story, all about how your powers are tied to your emotions. And there's going to be a battle in our future, I can guarantee that."

"With… Hans?" Elsa asks, swallowing thickly before speaking their adversary's name.

"Yep. I'm guessing that he's got you kinda freaked, with his new powers and everything. You're worried he's stronger than you."

There's a silent moment, Elsa just biting her lip. Sora watches closely, hoping he hasn't gone too far. "It's… Yes, I guess that's true. But, it's more than that, too." She takes a deep, steadying breath. "My powers, I… They aren't working the way I want them too. When that happened before, they came on too strong. But now… It's getting hard to get even them going. That's never happened before."

The spark of an idea lights in Sora's mind, a tactic that just might help Elsa get back on track. "So, things have changed for you. You always thought things were one way, but now it seems like everything has been flipped on its head."

"Well," Elsa replies nervously. "Yes. That's exactly what it feels like."

"Because you've always had your powers, right?" Sora continues, elated at the prospect of a breakthrough. "And they've always seemed like too much to handle, until you learned how to do it. But what's changed since then since you got control?"

"Hans' fire powers?" the queen answers, breathing a little quicker as she starts grasping at the correct thread as well. "I've never had to deal with any powers but my own. I've never faced someone who seemed stronger."

"That's it exactly!" Sora is outright grinning now. "It's kind of like what I've been going through, I think. Things changed, and it's got you freaked out. But Elsa, things do change in life. Any second we can be pushed right out of our comfort zones, and it's always pretty scary."

Elsa actually chuckles a little. "You can say that again. I've been this scared before, but the circumstances were so different then. When I fear my powers are too much, they're out of control. When I'm afraid they aren't enough…"

"They shut down," Sora finishes for her. "But Elsa, you have to realize that it's the same thing. Fear is fear, and no matter what form it takes, you have to face it head on. You can't let it keep you down, or change who you are. Because when that happens, fear wins."

"And nobody likes who they turn into when that happens," Riku chimes in.

For a long moment, Elsa is silent. She doesn't even look at Sora, gaze fixed firmly on her hands instead. Finally, she clenches them tight, setting her expression into one of tight determination. The sorceress takes a deep breath, building her resolve and focus. She opens her hands, and lets go.

Loud cracks ring out through the air, as up above stalactites of ice shoot free from the chamber's roof like frozen spears. They continue to grow for a few heartbeats, only stopping once the tips are barely a foot over Riku's head. Elsa watches them solidify, a smile on her face.

She moves again, swirling her arms through the air. A mound of ice forms in the middle of the chamber, quickly shaping itself into an exact replica of Sora. The Keybearer laughs at his frozen effigy, and Elsa can't help but join in. She throws her hands into the air, and the icicles above burst into clouds of snowflakes that drift gently down to the floor.

"Well," Sora says with a broad grin, "it looks to me like you've got your mojo back, Elsa."

"Yes," the queen agrees, giggling unabashedly as snow flutters around her. She looks to Sora, a sincere smile lighting up her face. "Thank you, Sora. If it weren't for you…"

The Keybearer shrugs. "Hey, I just pointed out the problem. Overcoming your fears, that was all you. It might sound weird for me to say this, but I'm proud of you Elsa."

He says it with so much affection, Anna immediately springs to the queen's mind. She's somewhere in this maze, vulnerable to the likes of Hans or his Heartless cohorts. Instead of fear, a sense of resolve grips Elsa tightly. If her sister is in trouble, then she has to find her, and protect her. She knows that she can. Hans may have powers of his own now, but Elsa possesses something the disgraced prince could never replicate.

She has someone to fight for.

"I don't think I should pull any tricks like I did upstairs," the queen declares. "Looking back, I'm thinking my powers must have disrupted the magic keeping this place together somehow. Using them at all probably won''t start another collapse, but I'm going to be a lot more cautious about any interior redecorating."

"I think that's a good idea," Sora agrees. "I'm not entirely sure why, but I think over the bridge is our way to go."

"I agree," Elsa says. "Now that my powers are working again, I'm getting this weird kind of feeling. Like I know where there are other people in this maze. Nothing specific, but it could help us find everyone again. And… I don't know, something else. Strange."

"If we're close to running into Heartless, I'll be able to tell beforehand," Riku says, tapping his nose. "With the three of us working together, we might just be onto something."

"Okay guys," Sora declares, grinning. For the first time in a long time, he feels truly optimistic. "Let's do this!"

**KH-KH-KH**

"Another hallway," Azlyn deadpans, pointing through the chamber's leftmost exit. "More ice. No people."

"Well, it's called a labyrinth for a reason," Telary points out, hiding his own weariness behind optimistic pluck. "Very well made. The platform that collapsed clearly had some kind of teleportation matrix built into it. It's impressive work."

"I'm glad _you're_ happy, at least," the wizard's wife replies, rolling her eyes. " _I_ on the other hand, am only getting more pissed every second. And I don't care how fancy that Mode lady made these clothes up, my ass is still freezing."

"Well, I'm doing fine. Maybe it's the skirt…"

"Saying this with love, Tel," Azlyn cuts him off. "But shut up right now." She looks back down he corridor, hands on hips. "Y'know what? HEY, SORA! RIKU! ANNA! ANYBODY, WHERE ARE YA!"

Telary frowns, though he isn't stopping the blonde. There's certainly some wisdom in stealth, but he's confident they can handle any antagonistic forces the knight's shouting attracts.

"Hello."

The reply is soft, obviously coming from fairly far away. A second faint call comes through, the Disney Castle pair focused enough to realizes it's originating in a corridor behind them.

Azlyn rushes to the appropriate entrance, hands cupped around her mouth. "HELLO?"

"It's me," the voice replies. "Olaf!"

"This is Azlyn and Telary!" Telary calls. "Just keep calling to us, and don't move."

"Okay!" Olaf replies, still cheery as ever. "And, uh, don't worry about me going anywhere."

It takes more calling out and navigation of twisted corridors, but eventually the couple find their way to another midsize chamber, and Olaf. What there is of him, that is. The snowman's head lays on the floor, just barely propped up in one of the room's corners.

"Oh, hi guys!" he declares, smiling widely. The motion sends him off balance, face down on the frozen floor. "Oops."

Wincing, Telary bends down to pick the head off the floor. "Are you, um, _okay_ like that?"

"Well, it's not fun or anything," Olaf admits. "And it was _really_ bad when all I could do was sit there helpless and hope a friend heard my anguished cries of panic and despair before those creatures made of shadow and fire did… But hey, everything turned out alright in the end!"

"We accept heroism rewards in cash," Azlyn deadpans.

"Well, I'm sure Elsa will get you set up with a body once we find her," Telary assures the snowy skull. "And until then, we'll keep you nice and safe."

"Oh, hey guys!"

Telary yelps, dropping Olaf right onto the floor.

"Sorry," Anna apologizes. She and Kristoff stand and the chamber's entrance, looking alright despite the circumstances. After a quick scan of the room though, the princess's face falls. "Just you two, huh?"

"Yep," Azlyn replies, shrugging. "We just found Olaf a second ago."

"Yeah, we heard the yelling," Kristoff explains. "I don't suppose you have any insight on getting to the Keyhole from here, do you?"

"Sorry, no," Telary says, bending down to get Olaf's head. "Luckily, the place we landed was a dead end, so we at least know which way _not_ to go. Still, no telling just how many chambers and branching paths there are in here. Based on the background magic levels, there could be even more than there seem to be."

"I bet Elsa could figure it out," Anna says, sighing.

"Well, she isn't here right now," Azlyn informs the redhead, arms crossed sternly. "It's the four of us…"

"Uh, five," Olaf points out.

The knight waves at him dismissively. "Whatever. Anyway, we gotta figure things out for ourselves here." She turns to her husband. "Okay, Tel, figure things out."

"Glad to have your faith, Az," the wizard says, rolling his eyes. "Okay, um, so this whole thing is ice. Alright, that's a start…"

Kristoff notices the look on Anna's face at the mention of ice. He walks closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine, Anna."

The princess sighs, shaking her head. "You should have seen the look on her face, just before she fell. I haven't seen her look like that in a long time. And now she's lost somewhere in this place, with all these bad guys running around, and I'm not there to help her."

"I know," her boyfriend agrees. "But Sora and Riku were pretty close to her when…"

"She needs _me_ , Kristoff!" Anna interrupts, huffing. "I'm her sister, and I promised I'd always be there for her."

"Well, you can't really _always_ be there…"

The princess steps away from him, his arm sliding off her shoulder to hang dumbly by his side. "Yeah, I _can_! Well, alright, I'm not _now_ , but I need to be. Without me, Elsa…"

"Hey!" Azlyn butts in, scowling at the pair. "Do you mind? My husband needs to concentrate if he's gonna work us a way out of here, and he can't do that with you two yelling!"

"But you're yelling too," Kristoff points out.

"Yeah, well, he knows how to block me out by now," the knight retorts. "But listening to you two have a fight about why your boyfriend won't propose…"

"Well excuse us for…" Anna begins, her backtalk petering out as she fully absorbs Azlyn's comment. "Wait, what? This has nothing to do with getting engaged."

Azlyn snorts, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, okay. We'll just pretend…"

"Doesn't it?" Anna asks, whirling on Kristoff with a frown. "Why would you have a problem with my sister?"

"I don't!" the ice harvester argues, hands held up defensively. "But, I mean…" He sighs. "Look, I know that your sister is the biggest priority for you. And that's fine, I understand. I guess I'm just worried that, if we got married, it might affect your relationship with her. I wouldn't want to take you away from the person you love most."

"Kristoff," Anna says, approaching him cautiously. She places a hand on his cheek, directing his eyes to look into hers. "It's true I love my sister, but I love you too! I love everyone who's a part of my family. Which, I mean, you basically are already! I don't need to choose between the two of you, not at all! Can you believe that?"

Kristoff is silent for a few long seconds, clearly mulling everything over. Eventually, though, he smiles down at Anna. "Yeah, I do. I'm sorry for being so…"

"Well, no, _I'm_ sorry if I made you think…"

"Yeah, yeah, you were both pretty stupid," Azlyn interrupts, though the glint in her eye suggests she didn't find the escapade _completely_ annoying. She turns to her husband, to find him smiling as well. "What are you doing listening in here, huh? You're supposed to be thinking!"

"Oh, I've been doing that too," Telary defends himself, smiling. It quickly drops though. "But I really don't have anything too profound. We might just have to slog through this maze on our own, no special gimmicks."

"Too bad I can't hear that heartbeat anymore," Olaf chimes in, apropos of seemingly nothing.

"What heartbeat?" Anna asks.

"Well, when I was just laying on the floor," the snowman explains, excited to have all the attention on him, "it was like I could hear something coming from inside it. It sounded far away, but I could definitely tell where it was coming from."

"The Keyhole leads to the heart of the world," Telary says, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. "So maybe that heartbeat is coming from the Keyhole itself. Olaf can hear it through the ice, because his head is ice too."

"That sounds…" Kristoff begins, eventually just letting out a breath. "It sounds really weird."

Azlyn snorts. "Hey, welcome to our world. This is probably gonna be one of the _least_ absurd places Tel and I find ourselves. Anyway, drop that snowman to the floor and get him listening!"

"Even weirder," Anna can't help but comment.

**KH-KH-KH**

"No," Elsa says, mostly to herself but loud enough for the boys to hear. She stands in the middle of a truly massive chamber, hands on a pillar of ice that runs nearly to the ceiling. Across from her, the room's single entry/exit point opens up into a much smaller room. "Nothing there."

"Well, just try the next one," Sora encourages her. "There can't be many more of these doors in here. We almost went the whole circle."

"I'm thinking that will be it," the queen replies, swirling her arms to get the room moving. "There's a pretty big group in that direction. Too many to be the others."

"So Heartless," Riku says with a nod. "Bring it on."

The chamber begins spinning, Sora reaching out to grab a pile of ice for support. They're coming up on the Keyhole, he can just feel it. And more than that, he just feels _better_. Logically, he knows that all the problems he'd worried about still exist. But Riku was right. Sora _does_ like helping people, seeing them overcome the problems of their lives with his encouragement. Every time the Keybearer starts to feel despair sneaking up on him, he simply looks to see Elsa using her powers confidently. He'd made a difference in her life, he's sure of it. And it's much easier to help others when he isn't so singularly focused on himself.

The chamber's movement ceases, a loud crunching noise sounding out as the doorway locks into place. Beyond it lays another chasm, an icy bridge arching over to allow access to the other side.

"Look up there," Riku declares, pointing to the opening on the bridge's other side. Bordering its top curve is an intricate design, a beautifully carved snowflake in the center of it. "I've seen that design before. Only on a few doors, all of which we went through. I think that's some kind of marker, a sign to tell us we're going the right way."

"It would make sense to have a waypoint," Sora agrees, joining the others as they step onto the bridge. "I mean, the trolls wouldn't have wanted the Keyhole to be _impossible_ to find."

They're soon on the other side, turning down the corridor beyond. "Is it really true, what you said?" Elsa asks suddenly. "About what happens if the Heartless find the Keyhole. Arrendelle would be lost?"

"Oh, it's true alright," Sora replies, shaking his head. "And trust me, you don't want anything to do with it."

"I'm guessing, then, that it happened where you're… from?"

Riku nods. "Yes, a few years ago. It's what got us all started on this crazy adventure ride." He looks to Sora, sees the way his friend looks away, biting his lip. "But, um, maybe we shouldn't dwell on that."

"He's right," Sora chimes in, setting his face back into a neutral expression. "We just need to focus on making sure it doesn't happen here."

Elsa is about to say something when Riku's hand shoots up. A heartbeat later, his Keyblade appears in it. He says nothing, only taps his nose with his free hand. Sora nods back, summoning his own Keyblade. Elsa takes a deep breath, snow flurries briefly playing around her open hands. Ready for a fight, the trio move forward.

The hall takes a sharp right turn up ahead, and beyond that opens up into a room of several hundred square feet. Four layers of uneven columns of ice ring the chamber like steps, leading down from six open doors scattered around the room's rim. At the bottom is an open area, a doorway at the end of it. A snowflake is carved above it.

Sora is about to start leading the charge down when Riku's head snaps up to an entrance directly across the way from theirs'. Pete, Gilgamesh, and Hans appear there a moment later, several Heartless accompanying them. For a few seconds, the two groups just stare each other down.

Gilgamesh moves first, eagerly hopping down onto the lower ice column. The Heartless group of Soldiers, Winterhorns, and Flame Cores follow after him. Hans and Pete wait a few moments before they begin to descend as well, fire already playing around the disgraced prince's hands.

Sora instinctively looks to Elsa, ready with an encouraging word if she's faltering again. But he needn't worry. Seeing no need to waste more effort than necessary, Arrendelle's queen creates a slide of ice right down to the chamber's floor. She's the first one sliding down it, Sora and Riku almost scrambling to follow her lead. Once they hit the bottom, the trio ignore the incoming enemies in favor of going right for the room's exit. A set of closed double doors seal it from entry.

Gilgamesh reaches them before they can hit the doorway, swinging a sword straight for Sora's head. The Keybearer raises his own blade, his opponent's weapon merely glancing against it as he slides past. But unlike what occurred above, this time Gilgamesh stops precisely when he means to, whirling on Sora with another blade.

Riku tries to help, but a Winterhorn diving antlers-first at him forces the silver-haired young man to flinch away. He slashes through the creature, and by then there are three more coming after him.

Elsa dispatches a few Soldiers with ease, freezing the lot of them solid. A Flame Core tries to blast her, but a quick flick of her wrist throws up a curtain of snow to protect herself. The fire hits it, making steam but little else. Through the cloud, Elsa fires three small icicles that pierce the Heartless straight through.

Another cloud of fire comes for her, direct from Hans. Elsa raises her hands, a thick wall of ice springing up before her at the motion. Another fireball quickly turns the defense into water, but Elsa is already moving by then. She shoots icicles from each hand, but her enemy simply melts them before they can even get near.

Way to Dawn stabs a Winterhorn straight through, the dark creature dying off with barely a sound. Another one sends an icicle at Riku, who barely turns in time to bat it away with his blade. As he moves toward the creature, he spares a brief glance for Sora's battle.

The Keybearer spins away from a stab, Kingdom Key already raised to deflect two of Gilgamesh's swords. The red-armored fiend swings his left arms, but Sora ducks underneath the swing and sends his enemy's four weapons crashing into each other. Momentarily disoriented, Gilgamesh is ripe for a strike against his exposed back.

Watching his opponent go down, Sora barely hears a soft grunt coming from behind. He whirls, immediately focusing on a red-orange sphere coming his way. He spins his blade in his hands, knocking the bomb away. It explodes a few seconds later, the smoke clearing to reveal Pete, already pulling another explosive from a pouch.

The Keybearer jumps aside, putting a little slide into his landing. When he skids to a stop moments later he's got a visual on Gilgamesh, frowning at the spot where Sora once was. No time to savor the sight though, as there's already another bomb coming toward him.

Fire meets ice again, another stalemate. Hans has no apparent strategy, simply flinging flames wherever he gets the chance. Elsa is forced into simply reacting, blocking every attack but not getting the chance for any of her own. Her enemy seems stronger, wilier, like there's some grand scheme she's just playing into.

The queen tries to quiet her doubts, but they persist nonetheless. A fire blast slips past some of her frost, passing so close by that she can feel its heat. Hans knows what even that small victory means, has seen Elsa's resolve fail before. He steps forward, throwing out a wide wave instead of a simple ball.

The sorceress hits it with enough ice to dull its power, but some gets through. It's nothing more than an uncomfortable bloom of heat against her body, but even the slightest of failures chips at her confidence. She does her best to hold on, remind herself of the power she has within her. Of all the things she has accomplished with it, even when fear of the abilities ruled her life. The next burst of flame comes for her, but she stops it cold.

Riku can appreciate the plight of his companions, both of them facing skilled and intelligent opponents. But somehow he can't shake the feeling that his own battle is the more difficult, the veritable horde of Heartless attacking from every angle. He can only move so fast, going from defense to offense as quick as his Keyblade arm can react.

He feels a Winterhorn's sharp antlers driving into his back, not penetrating Edna Mode's tough fabric but unbalancing him all the same. A Soldier claws at his side, sending him nearly stumbling into a Flame Core. He turns at the last second, slicing through the fiery Heartless on his way to face the Soldier. Thrusting out his open hand, he shoots a Dark Fire ball strong enough to eliminate it. There are still at least a half dozen Heartless, all staring the Keyblade wielder down. Riku settles into his fighting stance again, silently daring the dark horde to come at him.

Sora ducks beneath a sword, luckily timing it perfectly for Gilgamesh to bat Pete's bomb away. It comes right for the fat cat, who covers his face with both hands as the orb explodes. The Keybearer takes advantage of his respite, rushing past Gilgamesh and slashing at the warrior's side.

But he over-commits, stumbling against the ice floor and falling down to his knees. Pete notices with a gleeful smile, bomb already in hand. He rears it back like a bowling ball, already imagining the kind of strike he's about to throw.

His fantasy is rudely interrupted by a sound from above. The sound of screaming, coming from several throats. Sora and Gilgamesh hear it too, looking up and noticing something they hadn't before: a hexagonal hole in the roof above. Several falling figures are just about to clear it. Judging by their speed, they aren't in for a happy landing.

"Elsa!"

Sora's cry breaks the queen's concentration, and a fireball strikes the ground beneath her. She stumbles back, throwing out a flurry of icicles on instinct. Elsa looks to Sora, then up where he's pointing. Seeing her sister among the falling group, she thrusts out a hand to the area beneath them. A tall pile of snow forms, providing them a safe space to neatly plop into.

Azlyn is the first to recover, jumping off the pile of fluff and onto the chamber floor. She quickly assesses the situation, determining where her talents are needed. Drawing out her shield, the knight leaps toward Riku and the Heartless.

Anna and Kristoff come up together, reaching for their swords and giving the battle a once-over of their own. Anna immediately settles on Hans, her ex-fiance deliberately targeting her sister. Though she isn't quite sure what help she'll be, the redhead can't just ignore an attack on her family. Kristoff gives her a nod, ready to back her up. Together, they head for Elsa.

Telary, still holding Olaf's head safe in his arms, slides down from the top of the pile. There's a lot going on, but what catches his eye is the two-on-one melee Sora's facing. The Keybearer is blade locked with Gilgamesh, which protects him from Pete's bomb throwing but leaves him in danger nonetheless.

Or maybe he _isn't_ safe just because any explosion would catch Gilgamesh. Pete pulls out one of his big bombs, a green-colored orb that's sure to do some hurt. Just as the fat cat begins lining up for a throw, a flash of inspiration hits Telary.

He looks down at the snowman in his arms, finding him already looking back up. "I gotcha, Telary. Do what you gotta do!"

The wizard nods, pulling his arm back and focusing his aim. He doesn't have long, and eventually just has to hope that the throw will be good enough. With a loud grunt, he hurls Olaf's head at Maleficent's minion.

It nails Pete right in the back of the head. He yelps, dropping the bomb at his feet and accidentally kicking it away. Telary grins, a part of him wishing the kids in gym class could see him now. It seems Pete has spotted him, at least. The fat cat is already reaching for another bomb, but Telary simply calls down thunder on his head. Pete yelps, sputtering and falling back on his wide rear.

The sound of Pete falling spurs something in Sora. He ducks Gilgamesh's swing, a strike of his own reaching out to smack his opponent's hand. The sword goes flying from it, loudly clattering across the icy floor.

The red-garbed warrior is confused, an advantage Sora is all too eager to press. He swings again, targeting the lower left hand. His aim is true again, a second blade leaving Gilgamesh's hand. The Keybearer simply moves Kingdom Key up, hitting the underside of Gil's top right sword hilt and sending it flying into the air as well. Maleficent's minion backs away, stopping by the fallen Pete's side.

Hans grunts in frustration, the two newly arrived annoyances forcing him to commit a hand to flinging fire at them, leaving only one to face down Elsa. The queen is overpowering _him_ now, making her own steps forward and forcing him back.

Then, suddenly, a lucky strike. One of his left hand fire waves moves quicker than Anna can dodge. It hits the princess's cloak, setting the garment alight. She cries out in alarm, reaching for the clasp to throw the now dangerous cape off. Kristoff looks to her with concern, and Hans can imagine Elsa is doing the same.

Indeed she is, a quick glance informs him. Smiling, the disgraced princes gathers all the power he can. It burns a little in his stomach, but the pain is easily ignored with victory on the way. Putting his two hands together, Hans unleashes a continuous blast at his elemental opposite.

"Elsa!" Anna cries, still fumbling with her cloak. Kristoff, moving to help her, stops in his tracks. Her sister's head snaps to Hans, and the pain he's sending her way. The sorceress thrusts her hands forward as well, the two energies colliding against one another.

It's a struggle for dominance, one will against another. Elsa remembers what happened last time, the memory of failure hitting her like a blow. She falters, fire advancing on ice. But the queen grits her teeth, pushing the past aside and focusing on the present task. She thinks of Anna, Kristoff, and Sora too. Even Olaf. All of them believe in her, all of them know just how strong she is. Remembering their faith ignites, ironically, a fire inside her. Suddenly laughing, she pushes against Hans again.

Any contest there once was between Elsa and her nemesis is clearly over. Hans gasps in shock, trying his hardest to push further against the oncoming ice. But its no use, his power growing dimmer and dimmer as the queen's increases. Suddenly, he feels the warmth around his hands vanish, replaced by a cold beyond cold. It moves up his body, freezing every inch it comes in contact with. He manages a last cry of despair, before a glob of snow in his mouth forces him into silence.

Elsa flicks a hand at her sister, the fire on her cloak dying out in a puff of smoke. With Anna safe, the queen turns to her other enemies. Pete and Gilgamesh are surrounded by the offworlders, all their Heartless gone.

"Well," Sora says confidently, crouched in his fighting stance, "isn't this the part where you two run away?"

"Feel free to stick around if you like," Azlyn adds. She throws a thumb over his shoulder, pointing to Elsa. "You could _chill_ with us."

Riku makes an exaggerated retching noise at the heinous pun.

"Okay, okay," Pete says, a dark portal already forming behind him. "You brats can have this round, fine by me. Think I'm catchin' a cold around this place, anyways."

"A mere scouting mission of your abilities, Keybearer!" Gilgamesh declares with the usual bluster. "The next time you and I meet… Ohoho, _then_ it will be time to show you my true might!" Pete, already through the portal, grabs his partner by the scruff of his neck before pulling him in. A heartbeat later, it vanishes.

"So this is _really_ a normal day for you guys?" Kristoff asks, approaching with Anna and Elsa at either side.

"Usually it's warmer," Telary quips. A sudden look of revelation appears on his face. Reaching down, he holds Olaf's head before Elsa.

"Hi!" the snowman says with his usual cheer. "It's so nice to see you again! I'd offer you a hug, but…"

Elsa smiles at her creation. "Why don't I take care of that for you?" she offers. Telary sets Olaf down on the ground, and with a quick wave of the queen's hands he has a body again.

"Aaah!" he declares, patting himself up and down. Where his stick arms came from nobody's quite sure, but it's a small detail not to be worried about. Looking up, he open them wide. "Now that I'm back in business, who wants a hug?"

"Maybe in a minute, Olaf," Anna promises. She looks up, to the chamber's exit. "Is that Keyhole in there?"

"I imagine it is," Sora confirms, turning to the doorway with a smile on his face. "All that's left to do now is head in and lock it."

"I'm honestly pretty eager to see what it looks like," Kristoff says, flashing a rare smile. "I mean, I guess I have a pretty good idea, but…"

"They're actually usually quite unique," Telary says, leading the group over to the doors. "I mean, you get what you expect, shapewise, but the finer details and surroundings usually look pretty dazzling."

"You remember the butterflies?" Azlyn brings up, pushing against a door. "That was my favorite one, I think."

The doors are sturdy, requiring a tough push for every inch. Inside, the chamber is pitch black, the only light spilling in through the doorway from the crystals illuminating the room outside. The group all make their way in, Olaf waddling in last. As soon as the snowman is within, the doors slam shut. Everything is patch black, too dark for anyone to see even the hand in front of their face.

On instinct, Sora summons Kingdom Key. Its light momentarily brightens the air around him, just a few feet. It fades just as quickly, darkness returning. And then, suddenly, blue light from below illuminates the entire chamber.

Everyone looks down, noting the thick lines carved in the floor from which the light comes in. They follow those lines with their eyes, quickly deciphering the intended image.

"It's a snowflake!" Anna declares, clapping her hands. Concentric hexagons decorate the chamber floor, getting smaller as the approach the middle.

"Who could've seen that coming?" Azlyn deadpans. At least she tries to, a little sincerity managing to creep into her voice.

Sora moves to the glowing inscription's center, knowing already just what he'll find. The last hexagon is full of thin blue lines, intricate patterns carved within. But right smack dab in the middle of it all is the familiar shape of a Keyhole.

It's a difficult angle, so the Keybearer simply raises his blade into the air. Light erupts at Kingdom Key's tip, perfectly matched by a burst of illumination from the hole. A loud click fills the chamber, and with a sound like sleigh bells the Keyhole itself fades into just another patch of blue ice.

"Okay, that was totally cool!" Olaf declares as the doors swing open and let outside light in once again.

"So cool!" Anna agrees, walking with one arm around Elsa's shoulders, the other on Kristoff. "And we all got to experience it together."

"Yes," Elsa agrees with a soft smile. "Together."

"The happy family," Kristoff chimes in, squeezing Anna and giving her a wink.

Sora watches the trio, his mouth split in a toothy grin. Once again, he remembers why exactly it is that he keeps being a hero. No matter how hard it gets, bringing about results like this is always worth it.

Riku breaks up the happy moment. "Uh, guys. Where's Hans?"

Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff immediately separate, their eyes whipping to the room's center just like everyone else. The spot where Hans once stood, literally frozen in place, is empty.

"How the heck could he go anywhere?" Kristoff declares, incredulous, furious, and terrified all at once. "Elsa totally… I mean, he was just a, um, a _Hansicle_!"

"I, for one, was looking forward to punching him in the face again," Anna chimes in.

"I mean, he _did_ have those fire powers," Telary points out, sheepish.

"And we were all pretty dazzled by the Keyhole," Azlyn adds grimly.

Elsa is quiet for a long moment, just staring at where she'd left her enemy. Finally, she smiles, turning to the group. "So he slipped away," she says, shrugging. "Maybe he just slid out of here on his own slime trail, who knows? You know what I think? I think it really doesn't matter. Because now, Hans knows something I don't think he'd truly accepted before."

"And what's that?" Sora asks, smiling himself.

"No matter what he does, or how much power he thinks he can gather, he can't get to us. We've got a power he could never even understand, let alone beat." Elsa reaches to her sister and future brother-in-law, taking their hands. Grinning, Olaf snuggles closer to his creator. "We've got each other."

Sora looks around at his own companions, knowing exactly what she means.


End file.
